"Moving to Winton Street" from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's note: Bill Guarnere and his family moved to Winton Street in South Philadelphia early in his marriage to Frannie. His father-in-law loaned Bill the money to purchase the house and Guarnere gave his new car to his father-in-law to thank him for helping him get the rowhouse. The amount he paid back to his father-in-law is in the book he wrote with Babe.
The price for Bill's new house is mentioned in his book. A house for sale next to his was listed on a Philadelphia realtor's web page for about $80,000 last September. It's the same type of home. I got curious and investigated what the property was worth in today's money. The "talking Italian" story also came from Bill's and Babe's book.
The U.S Government provided new cars to former soldiers who were seriously wounded in the war.He really made the,comment about wanting the car and not wanting to talk about baseball. President Truman really chuckled and said what he did to Bill This information also comes from the book Bill wrote with Babe. The rest is from my imagination. The scene with the U Haul was inspired by an event that occurred when I moved into my apartment. Unlike Leigh, I didn't hold up traffic on a street, I blocked two lanes of traffic on a major state highway. The truck I drove is a little bit larger than the one in the picture from the late 1940s.*
After Leigh was completely healed from the C-section surgery, she and Bill discussed moving to a rowhouse with three bedrooms, since they planned on having another child. While reading the real estate ads in the newspaper one evening, three months later, Bill saw that a rowhouse with three bedrooms was available on Winton Street, not far from their current location.
There was a major obstacle in obtaining the house. It had to be bought instead of rented. Cal Spencer was aware of the situation and he loaned Bill and Leigh the full amount of money to buy the house, $2,000. Bill insisted on paying Cal $20 to $50 per month.
Before the moving got underway, Bill was notified by a letter from an amputees' group in which he was a member. A congressman came up with a bill to give new cars to men who became amputees due to war injuries.
Bill went with the group to meet with President Truman. A man in front of him spent a long time chatting about baseball with the President. He told the man,
"Buddy, I didn't come here to talk baseball. I'm here for the car." Truman heard Bill's remark, chuckled and told him,
"You got it, kid." The new car was a black Pontiac and that particular model wouldn't be available for purchase until the following year (1948). Bill insisted that Cal should take the car, telling him,
"Pop Spencer, since you helped us get the house, it's only right that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') I give ya the car. When Cal tried to decline the offer, Bill convinced him to take the car, saying,
"A brand new car would stick out like a sore thumb around here. Our car suits us just fine." Mr. Spencer insisted that Bill and Leigh take his 1945 Buick. Bill was glad to have a newer car and he gave the 1941 Buick to Teresa. He told her,
"Since ya know how to drive, I thought you could use the car to go to work. You could take Ma an' Pop wherever they needed to go. That way, they'd have a way to get somewhere if they couldn't get a ride." Teresa was excited and happy to have the car.
Later that evening, while they were eating supper, Bill told Leigh,
"Thanks to your pop, we're on our way to havin' it all. We own our house an' we don't have a mortgage to pay. I was thinkin', after we get moved in, let's get busy an' sorta make each room ours, if ya know what I mean."
"I like that idea, Honey. You can explore my downstairs in every room."
"I'll never get tired o' explorin' your downstairs, Sweetheart."
Bill and Leigh decided to use a new company, U-Haul, to facilitate their move to Winton Street. Moving vans or trucks could be rented from the company, which was much cheaper than hiring a moving company.
It took quite a bit of time to box up dishes, glasses, furniture, clothing,baby items plus other personal belongings and household goods. Once the boxes were securely packed and taped shut, it was time to load the moving truck.
Bill's brother-in-law, his nephew and Babe Heffron helped load the truck. Maria and her family had to attend an out of town funeral, so they weren't involved in getting Bill and Leigh moved into their new house.
While Bill and the men were busy moving and arranging furniture, Leigh decided to drive the truck to pick up some small boxes of her clothing. She had a great deal of difficulty getting into the vehicle, since it sat much higher than a car.
Wearing a day dress made climbing into the truck a challenge. While some women wore pants, a majority of women still wore dresses. Leigh had to find a way to get into the truck without making the skirt of her dress ride up to expose her underwear.
She opened the driver's side door to the truck and found a strap to grab on to. Then she carefully hoisted herself into the cab of the truck. Next, she had to move the seat all the way forward to reach the gas and brake pedals.
Leigh backed up the truck and cringed when she heard the sound of it striking the garbage cans at the side of the driveway. She thought,
"Just what I don't need. The last thing I want to do is make a scene for the neighbors." A man from the neighborhood was walking past the rowhouse. He shouted,
"Mrs. Guarnere, Stop! You hit the damn garbage cans! Hang on, I'll help ya." Leigh was glad for the man's help, but she thought,
"Wonderful! Now everyone within hearing distance will know about the 'woman driver' who can't back up a truck without destroying something." He backed up the truck, turned it around to easily exit the driveway and helped her get the garbage and the cans picked up. She thanked him and he wished her luck with the move.
Power steering didn't exist at that time, and Leigh found the steering more difficult to manage than the steering wheel of a car. She ran into trouble when she had to pull onto a major thoroughfare to access Winton Street.
Leigh was accustomed to looking into the rear view mirror of a car, which is in the middle of the windshield. She quickly realized that she had to depend upon two mirrors, one on either side of the truck, to see.
She swore under her breath, rolled down the driver's side
window and stuck her head out the window, trying to see the entire street. Leigh could see the entire left side of the thoroughfare and only a portion of the right side.
Then, Leigh issued silent prayers to prevent an accident and to get her safely to her new home. Soon, several cars were lined up behind her. Unbeknownst to Leigh, her brother-in-law Sal, Julia's husband, was in the second car behind the truck.
He was heading back to Winton Street after a quick visit to his house. Sal needed to get his moving dolly to help move more furniture into the house. He saw Leigh when she looked out of the truck's window.
A man directly behind Leigh lost his patience and honked the horn on his car. He yelled,
"Are ya gonna sit there all day? Get that truck outta here!" Leigh was nervous about driving and she felt extremely irritable due to the traffic situation and the rude man behind her. She yelled back,
"Keep your shirt on, you baciagaloop (an Italian word meaning 'dummy' or 'fool' that she learned from Augusta), I'm doing the best I can!" Five minutes later, the man repeatedly sounded the horn again and Leigh put her left arm out of the driver's side window with the middle finger of her left hand sticking up, hoping the man would see the gesture.
By this time, Sal was laughing. He shouted,
"Atta girl, Leigh!", but she didn't hear him. The traffic let up for a moment, and she quickly got onto the street and headed for her destination. She decided to leave the driving of the truck to Bill or someone helping them from that moment on.
Ten minutes later, she pulled the vehicle into the parking lot behind the house. Bill came out to help her out of the truck. He embraced and kissed her before he helped her carry in the boxes of clothing. Sal pulled into the driveway, parked his car and walked toward Leigh and Bill.
"Leigh, ya did a good job handlin' that guy behind ya." She thanked Sal and Bill asked,
"What are ya talkin' about, Sal?" Bill was quickly filled in on the situation, with Sal adding,
"Then, she gave that guy the ol' one finger salute." Leigh couldn't help but laugh and Bill did his customary loud, single laugh.
"That's my sassy baby! You must've learned that word from Ma." She quickly glanced at the left side of the truck and was greatly relieved to see that there were no marks or scratches on the side of it from hitting the garbage cans.
When everything was unloaded from the truck, it was time to return it to the rental company. Leigh asked Bill to drive the truck, since driving it made her nervous. She drove the car and followed Bill to the U-Haul rental office. One of the employees in the office inspected the truck, telling the Guarneres,
"It looks great. This is a new truck and it's the first time it's been used." Leigh silently thanked providence that she didn't mar the truck when she hit the garbage cans and that she avoided an accident pulling out in traffic when she couldn't completely see the street.
A surprise awaited the Guarneres, the relatives helping them move and Babe. Teresa drove Augusta and her father to the new house and she had homemade lasagna, garlic bread, Broccoli Rabe and pizzelles for dessert. Leigh told Augusta,
"Mama, you're a godsend! Thank you so much for fixing a delicious supper for us." Then, she hugged her.
"You're welcome, Sweetie. I wanted to give you an' Billy a break. You've both been workin' hard an' I didn't want you to have to cook, too."
Everyone sat around the dining room table. Bill found a bottle of red wine in the kitchen and he poured it into a decanter that was passed around the table so everyone could pour as much wine as he or she wanted into their wine glasses.
They kept the noise down since Billy was sleeping in his crib in his upstairs bedroom. Bill asked the blessing and everyone enjoyed their supper.
Augusta, the other family members and Babe laughed when they heard about Leigh and the man in the car behind her.
"You done the right thing, Sweetie. That's exactly what I woulda called him. You're doin' a good job pickin' up Italian words. Would ya like to learn how to speak Italian?" Leigh said that she was interested in learning the language. Bill laughed, telling everyone,
"It'll be like when I was a kid. We knew one of us was in trouble when Ma and Pop started talkin' Italian. If my sweet angel gets mad at me, she'll probably start talkin' Italian, too." Teresa and Julia laughed at Bill's comment. Julia remarked,
"Hearin' Ma and Pop talkin' Italian made us wonder whose ass would get hit wit' a wooden spoon." Everyone at the table laughed. Leigh told Bill,
"Honey, can't see you doing anything to make me mad, but if it happens, I promise to speak English." Julia remarked with a smirk like Bill's,
"Leigh, you didn't know Billy Baby when he was a kid. He was usually into some kinda trouble." Bill feigned an expression of shock, telling her,
"Julia, you know that ain't true. I was a little angel back then." Laughter ensued after this comment. Bill had his after supper cigarette as Julia answered,
"I'm just yankin' your chain, baby brother. You were a pretty good kid, but I wouldn't call ya an angel." Augusta spoke up,
"Since we're talkin' about angels, is it OK wit' you, Sweetie, if I go up an' see Billy? I'll be right back to help wit' the dishes."
"Mama, you can see Billy whenever you want, there's no need to ask. Take your time visiting him. Since you fixed supper, I'm doing the dishes." Julia and Teresa also offered to help. The work was over fairly quickly with three women working in the kitchen.
While they worked, Leigh told Julia and Teresa,
"This reminds me of the time Bill brought me home to meet everyone. You, Maria and I washed the dishes and danced to the music." Julia and Teresa laughed, remembering how Augusta and Bill surprised them by applauding after they finished singing along with the radio. Julia told Leigh,
"Now, here ya are, married to Billy Baby an' you have that handsome little guy. I gotta see him before we go home." Teresa said,
"Billy's a little angel. I need to see him, too, before I take Ma and Pop home."
Augusta walked into Billy's bedroom. He was awake and she picked him up from his crib, holding him close to her.
"You're Nonna's handsome little angel. You remind me of your pop when he was little like you. You're growin'. Soon, you'll be Nonna's big boy." Billy smiled at her as she kissed his cheek.
"Such a sweet baby." Then, he wet his diaper.
" I'll get ya cleaned up an' in a dry diaper." After she took care of him and placed the dirty diaper into a diaper pail with a lid, she told him,
"That should feel better for ya. You're livin' in a new house now. There's lots of space in the backyard for ya to play when ya get older." Leigh excused herself for a moment and she got a bottle of milk for Billy. When she entered the bedroom, Leigh smiled as she saw Augusta holding Billy.
"I just came up to give Billy his bottle."
"Sweetie, can I do it?" She handed the bottle to Augusta. Mrs. Guarnere sat in a rocking chair beside the bed. She fed and burped Billy.
"Thanks, Leigh. I never get tired of havin' a baby in my arms. He's a blessin'."
"You and Pop are blessings, too." Augusta thanked her. Billy soon went back to sleep.
"Bill is a wonderful father. He helps with Billy, from feeding to diaper changes. He calls him 'My little ol' man.'"
"You're both great parents an' Billy's nickname is sweet." Augusta gently placed him into his crib.
"Mama, I hope you and Pop come over during the weekend. Mom and Dad are visiting."
"Louise told me she an' your pop were visitin' soon. You can count on us comin', Leigh. We enjoy spendin' time wit' your folks." Augusta and Leigh went downstairs. Once everyone had left, Bill asked Leigh,
"Sweetheart, will ya come outside wit' me for a minute? I forgot to do somethin'." Leigh complied, wondering what he had in mind, and they went out the front door. Then, Bill surprised her when he picked her up and carried her over the threshold."
"That's better, Baby. Now, we're officially moved in." He embraced Leigh, telling her,
"Now, how about we do a little explorin'?"
"What room do you have in mind?"
"Let's take it upstairs, Baby." They walked hand in hand to their bedroom.
"George Luz Performs at the Easy Company Reunion of 1947"
"I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny "
*Author's Note * Babe's quote about the reunions came from the book he wrote with Bill, as did the story about the 'tattoo' of an eagle on Guarnere's wooden leg. Gene Guarnere mentioned in a podcast that Bill hated the wooden leg. Gene also told the story about the stinky cheese on the same podcast series. Everything else came from my imagination.*
Bill wasn't able to attend the first Easy Company reunion due to his ongoing physical therapy and getting acclimated to using his wooden leg. He hated the leg due to the fact that it was heavy and cumbersome, but he resolved to make the best of his given situation.
By 1947, Guarnere attended the reunion with Leigh and he also took over all preparations for reunions for the next 60 years.
He kept meticulous records of the men's addresses and telephone numbers. Babe Heffron once said,
"He took care of everything. You didn't need to lift a finger."
Bill started a habit for which he was known at all ensuing reunions. He brought a large stick of pepperoni and some provolone cheese. His son said in a podcast,
"Dad always brought stinky cheese to the reunions. When someone asked why he brought pepperoni, he'd say, 'man can't live by provolone.'"
Leigh had agreed to perform at the reunion in Pittsburgh. The orchestra from the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia volunteered their services free of charge. She had an idea for a humorous number that would involve George Luz's talent for mimicking voices.
Luz agreed to dress up and sing like Patty Andrews. He convinced his wife, Davina, to complete the trio, since she could sing. Leigh, George and Davina rehearsed during several telephone calls.
They were performing a popular Andrews Sisters' song, "I Want My Mama", that tells of a man over 50 who wants kisses and attention from his wife. The song had a Spanish/Cuban rhythm and style.
There was no way to keep the song a secret from Bill, since he heard Leigh singing. He promised to not tell his former brothers in arms about the upcoming surprise.
The night of the show, a few hours before the reunion began, George, Leigh and Davina rehearsed some basic dance steps. Davina helped George get makeup and a blonde wig applied. Then, Luz donned a floral print dress, stockings, a garter belt, a slip and a bra stuffed with stockings. He decided to wear his usual shoes for a more humorous look.
Once he was attired as Patty Andrews, he modeled his outfit for Davina and Leigh. Both women laughed until tears ran down their faces. After their makeup was retouched, they were ready for the show.
Leigh wore a cranberry colored wiggle dress, black stockings and her black open toed high heels. Bill wore the charcoal gray suit made by his father that Leigh gave him for their first Christmas together, a white shirt and black shoes.
Prior to leaving their house to attend the reunion, Bill showed Leigh an eagle that was sketched in blue ink on his wooden leg. He got an artist with whom he worked to draw the eagle.
"Wonder what the guys will think o' my iggle (eagle) tattoo, Baby?"
"It will be interesting to see their reactions."
Later that evening, the reunion was underway and the trio of Leigh, Delvina and George took their places onstage. Audience members laughed at the sight of Luz in his costume. The normally austere Colonel Sink was laughing at the spectacle. Bill laughed loudly at his friend wearing a dress, makeup and a wig.
The wannabe Andrews Sisters did an excellent job of singing and dancing. Remarks and cat calls, along the lines of,
"How about a date, Luz?" and "What are you doing after the show, Doll?" were heard as George performed. In the middle of the song, Luz stepped up to the microphone and delivered a flawless impersonation of Patty Andrews singing,
"I want my momma. My, my, my momma." During an instrumental section of the song, Luz went to the center of the stage. He placed his hands on his hips and sashayed back and forth, shaking his hips and his behind in time with the music.
Bull Randleman guffawed at George's antics until his face turned red. Buck Compton laughed until tears ran down his face. Shifty Powers told Don Malarkey and his wife,
"I declare, I've seen it all. Luz has really outdone himself." Lewis Nixon was sitting by Dick Winters. He laughed and told his friend,
"There's not enough Vat 69 in the world to erase the image of Luz in drag from my mind."
The performers received enthusiastic applause. Some special guests were about to join them. Leigh didn't tell Bill, George and Davina about this surprise.
A collective gasp was heard from the audience as the Andrews Sisters appeared onstage. Maxine and Laverne were frowning. Patty moved a microphone stand close to her and tapped Luz's shoulder.
George turned around and his mouth dropped open in shock as he saw the famous sisters. Davina wondered what George was looking at, so she turned around. She was as stunned as her husband. Patty Andrews asked,
"Sir, do you think it's funny to mock me?" Luz stared at her for a few minutes more until he was able to reply,
"No, Miss Andrews." She hugged George, who was greatly relieved to hear,
"My sisters and I think you did a great job. We loved it!" Davina was happy to hear that her husband hadn't upset the famous trio.
Unbeknownst to the audience, the Andrews Sisters appeared free of charge and they paid for their own transportation and lodgings, telling Leigh it was the least they could do for some veterans who helped win the war. Laverne Andrews told the audience,
"We spoke with your Songbird a few months ago and she mentioned this reunion. We wanted to thank some of the finest members of the 101st Airborne for their service." The audience applauded enthusiastically.
The sisters and Leigh performed several songs before a very appreciative audience. After the show was over, the sisters graciously signed autographs.
Leigh sat with Bill and enjoyed chatting with their friends as the CBS radio Orchestra continued to provide music. She had another surprise in store for Bill. During a telephone conversation she had at the CBS radio station office with Luz to provide privacy instead of talking at home, Leigh asked to borrow his jump wings.
Luz eagerly mailed the wings to her after hearing her plan. She was going to re-create Bill catching the jump wings in his teeth, the way he did during the party at Camp Toccoa when he said,
"Heigh-ho, Silver!" She requested that the orchestra play Glenn Miller's "American Patrol," the same song playing during Guarnere's iconic stunt. Luz assured her that he would immediately begin counting,
"One one thousand, two one thousand..." as soon as the music started. When the jump wings arrived in the mail, Leigh began practicing catching the end of the pin in her teeth as she drank a small glass of water.
She drank slowly, at first, until she felt that she had everything under control. Leigh then practiced drinking a medium sized glass of water until she mastered the stunt. A large glass of water proved to be too much of a challenge since she couldn't drink it within ten seconds.
The orchestra began to play the song. Leigh took the jump wings out of the pocket of her dress and dropped them into her glass of water. She abstained from having a mixed drink until after her performance because she wanted to be in complete control, since the stunt had the potential to be dangerous.
George began counting and soon, all the men counted with him. Bill realized what was going on and he immediately became concerned about Leigh. He blurted out,
"Holy God, Baby!" His remark was drowned out by the men counting. Guarnere tried to remain calm, realizing Leigh was sober and that she wouldn't be careless. She quickly downed the water, caught the pin in her teeth, proudly held it up and said, with a beaming smile,
"Heigh-ho, Silver!" The men applauded loudly. Bill gave her a passionate kiss. He broke the kiss to tell her,
"You scared the hell outta me, ya little fireball. I gotta admit you done a good job an' I'm proud of ya. If you woulda done that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') at the party, I woulda proposed on the spot."
"Now, you tell me!" Guarnere grinned and playfully kissed the tip of her nose. She then returned the jump wings to George Luz.
As the evening progressed, Bill rolled up the right leg of his trousers to expose his tattoo. It was a hit with the men. Luz told him,
"I'd expect nothing less from you, Wild Bill." He then told Leigh, with a fake expression of deep concern on his face,
"It's so sad, Leigh, you used to be a sensible girl. Bill's wild ways rubbed off on you." Luz laughed as both of the Guarneres good naturedly replied,
"Shaddup, ya moron." Bill and Leigh danced the rest of the evening. When the reunion ended, they took a taxi to their hotel room. After making love, Bill held Leigh in his arms.
"Baby, ya went all out to make this reunion a good time for everybody. Promise me that ya won't jump from an airplane wit' a parachute for the next reunion." She laughed,
"Honey, I guarantee that will never happen. There's no way I'd even consider doing something like that."
"I was thinkin' I'd like to take over gettin' everythin' ready for the reunions. Whadda ya think, Sweetheart"
"I think you'll do an excellent job, Bill." Guarnere kissed the top of Leigh's head. Since the lights were turned off in preparation for sleep, he didn't see the mischievous glint in Leigh's eyes when she asked,
"Do you still have your parachute? I was thinking..." Bill laughed loudly,
"You little devil! You're somethin' else." He decided to call her bluff, adding, "I bet Winters would know somebody who could give ya lessons in skydivin'." Leigh giggled, knowing Bill wouldn't go along with that idea.
"OK, smart ass, you got me with that one. You're somethin' else, too." Then, they settled down to sleep.
"Oh, Baby!" from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: My depiction of Bill Guarnere is solely based on the actor's portrayal in the movie. Special thanks to Helena Liz for valuable information about pregnancy. The information about hospital charges that I posted is from a hospital, believe it or not, in Philadelphia in the mid to late 1940s.*
Several months of trying to become pregnant had Leigh at her wits' end. Bill assured her that everything would be fine, but she wasn't convinced.
"What if I can't give you children? Would you still want me to be your wife?"
"Baby, I want you no matter what happens. If we have to adopt kids, then we'll adopt 'em. Tell ya what, I'm gonna make an appointment wit' a doctor an' get checked out. Maybe there's somethin' wrong wit' me an' that's why you ain't pregnant yet."
"I'll get a checkup, too, Honey." She had the name of a good obstetrician and gynecologist who was recommended to her by the CBS station manager's wife.
The test results showed that both Bill and Leigh were in excellent reproductive health. Dr. Simms, the obstetrician and gynecologist assured her that she would become a mother.
"Mrs. Guarnere, your situation isn't uncommon. I know it's easier said than done, but try to relax. Stress isn't helping the situation. There's no reason why you can't have a baby." Leigh took the doctor's advice and hoped that she would soon be pregnant.
Four months later, Bill and Leigh sat at the dining room table eating supper. Bill had put in a long day doing construction work. Leigh sang on two morning radio programs and she had an appointment with Doctor Simms before arriving home in the afternoon. She told Bill,
"We're going to have a member of the family staying with us."
"That's nice, Sweetheart. How long will we have company?" Leigh stifled the urge to blurt out the news that had her smiling since she got home.
" I think our visitor will stay for about 18 years." Bill looked puzzled.
"I'm more tired than I realized, 'cause I coulda sworn that ya said our company would be here 18 years." Leigh grinned,
"That's exactly what I said, Pop. Our visitor will be here at least 18 years." Bill realized what Leigh was trying to tell him, and a huge smile appeared on his face.
"Sweetheart, did ya just tell me that we're havin' a baby?"
"I saw the doctor today. It's official, I'm pregnant! We'll be parents in about seven months." Bill got up from the table and Leigh stood up, walking to him. She gave him a passionate kiss.
"Leigh, you just made me the happiest man in South Philadelphia. I love you an' the little one. This is great news! From now on, ya won't have to lift a finger. I'm takin' over all the housework. I don't want my angel wearin' herself out. You need to take it easy since you're carryin' our baby."
"Honey, I appreciate your offer to help and I love you, too. I don't want you wearing yourself out doing all the work around here. Since I love our baby, too, I'm following the doctor's advice.
He told me to do everything I normally do, plus some mild exercising. I was told that it's good for both me and the baby.I asked him if we could still be intimate during pregnancy and he thinks it's fine."
"If the doc says it's OK, then it's fine wit' me." He looked shocked,
"Baby, ya actually asked him if we could still make love?" Leigh giggled at Bill's reaction,
"The doctor is perfectly aware of how I became pregnant and I'm sure it didn't shock him when I asked a reasonable question." Bill looked sheepish,
"I guess I got a little carried away."
"It's OK, Honey. The continuing intimacy is up to you. I'm in favor of it, but you may change your mind when I resemble a hippopotamus."
"Sweetheart, you'll always look beautiful to me."
"Please remind me of what you just said when I'm no longer able to see my feet." Bill chuckled at her reply.
"Have you told our folks yet?"
"No, I thought the father of the baby should be the first to know. For some odd reason, I could imagine George Luz saying,
'Leigh, it's nice you told Bill. Now you need to find the baby's father and tell him. Then, you would tell him, 'Shaddup!'" Guarnere laughed.
"That sounds exactly like somethin' he'd say. What the hell, let's call an' tell him the good news! I got his phone number written in that address book in the livin' room. Let me get it, Baby. It still wouldn't hurt to take it a little bit easy." Leigh rolled her eyes at Bill being overly protective of her. She knew he meant well and was determined not to be too critical.
Guarnere went through the dining room into the living room. Leigh heard swearing as he stubbed his sock clad left toes on the end table beside the couch.
"'course I had to stub my real toes instead o'runnin' into this goddamned thing wit' my wooden foot on my wooden leg. OK, now where's the address book? Here we go! " He got the book out and walked to the telephone, thumbing through the pages,
"There he is, George Luz in Rhode Island." Bill dialed the number. The phone on the other end of the line rang a couple of times. Guarnere grinned when he heard Luz say,
"Hello."
"Hey, George, how are ya doin'? "
"Bill, is that you?" Guarnere smirked,
"Hell, no! It's General McArthur! " He heard George laughing.
" I just got the best news from Leigh. We're havin' a baby in about seven months!"
"That's great news! Congratulations, Wild Bill! Please congratulate Leigh for me, too. We're still trying for the first little Luz."
"Just relax, it'll happen. She just told me an' I thought of callin' you."
"I'm glad you called. We're visiting some of my wife's relatives in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and it would be great if all of us could meet somewhere."
"That's a great idea. Let's see what we can set up." The men made plans to meet and include their wives. They settled on meeting within the next two weeks. When the conversation ended, Bill went back into the kitchen and told Leigh of the plans he and George made.
She was pleased to have the opportunity to see George and his wife. By the time they got ready to go to bed, Bill had contacted Joe Toye, Donald Malarkey, Johnny Martin and Buck Compton. Leigh said,
"We still haven't told our folks."
"Let me call Ma first, she's gonna be really loud an' excited." Bill dialed the number and Augusta answered the phone. He told her,
"Hello,"
"Billy, is everything OK? You're callin' kinda late."
"Everythin's fine, Nonna." He grinned, waiting for his mother to answer him.
"Have you been drinkin'? You know I ain't your Nonna." Bill laughed,
"You're Nonna Guarnere again, Ma. We're havin' a baby! Leigh found out today." Augusta shouted out,
"I'm gonna be a Nonna again! Oh my God, Billy, that's wonderful news! How is Leigh?"
"She's fine, Ma."
"Put her on the phone, Billy." He handed the phone to Leigh.
"Hi, Mama! I'll need all sorts of advice about babies because I know absolutely nothing about them. I'm just over the moon with the good news!"
"Sweetie, I'm so happy for you an' Billy! Don't hesitate to ask me anytime for advice. You'll be a great mother, Leigh. Well, if ya don't mind, I need to talk wit' my son a little."
"That's fine, Nonna." She handed the phone to Bill. He smiled as he heard his mother telling his father the good news in Italian.
"Your Pop says 'Congratulations' to you an' Leigh. We're the happiest grandparents in South Philadelphia! This is important, Billy. Make sure you're extra patient wit' Leigh. Her hormones will be changin' because of the baby.
She might get irritable or she might cry for no reason at all. Son, she might wanna...ya know, more than usual. Leigh might have cravings for food that's kinda strange. My cousin craved calimari all the time when she was expectin'. Anyway, it's all normal for expectant women." Bill was shocked his mother mentioned that Leigh might want more sex.
"Ma! You shouldn't be talkin' about that stuff wit' me!" Augusta and Leigh were laughing at his reaction.
"Billy, I've had ten children an' I know what women go through when a baby's on the way. Don't be so shocked. We didn't order ya from a catalog, ya know! Anyway, just be patient, like I said. Both of you will be great parents. Thanks for the good news, Billy! I love both of ya an' the little one. Good night, Son. "
"We love you, too, Ma. Good night." Leigh said,
"Now it's my turn to call. Did your mom mention something about sex? You turned as red as a tomato."
"I'm just an innocent boy. You an' Ma are corruptin' me." Leigh playfully swatted Bill's ass.
"That's my sassy angel." Leigh dialed her parents' phone number. Her father answered.
"How are you, Grandpa? " Cal Spencer asked,
"Leigh, are you OK?
"I just wanted to tell you and Mom that you're going to be grandparents in about seven months. I went to the doctor today and we're having a baby!"
"Louise, Leigh and Bill are having a baby!" He got back on the phone, saying,
"We're both excited. That's wonderful news! I would guess that Bill is very excited about the baby."
"We're both excited, Dad." She told him the manner in which Guarnere learned the news. Cal laughed and said,
"I would expect nothing less from you, Leigh. Congratulations! We love both of you and the baby, too."
A few weeks later, Bill was helping Leigh wash the supper dishes. She felt a strong, sudden wave of nausea and she ran to the bathroom. Leigh was aware that Bill was following her.
"Honey, please, just go back into the kitchen. I don't want you to see me like this." She was struggling to keep the nausea under control. Bill looked concerned.
"It ain't nothin' to be ashamed about, Baby." Leigh tried to close the bathroom door, but she wasn't able to do it. She lifted the lid on the toilet seat and immediately lost her supper. Then, she walked to the sink to splash some cold water on her face.
"Is there anythin' I can do to help, Baby?"
"Yes. Please get a glass from the kitchen. I need to use some mouthwash." He went to get a glass. Leigh felt dizzy and she started to sit on the bathroom floor. Another round of nausea hit her. As she opened the lid on the toilet seat, Bill entered the bathroom and held her hair back with one hand. He then set the glass on the floor and rubbed her back with his other hand.
"It's gonna be OK, Baby. Maybe you'll feel better now. " She closed the lid and flushed the toilet again. Leigh got the glass and poured some mouthwash in it. She swished it around in her mouth and spat it into the sink. Then, she rinsed the sink.
"I didn't want you to see or hear that. I'm so embarrassed." Bill kissed the top of her head,
"Don't be embarrassed, Leigh. It's somethin' natural."
"You'll probably never want to touch me again. This is probably happening because I'm pregnant. We know how I got pregnant. Now, you'll associate making love with this disgusting display." Bill fought the urge to laugh at her remark, because he knew she was upset.
He put his arm around Leigh, leading her to the couch.
"Baby, it'll take a hell of a lot more than an upset stomach to make me give up makin' love to ya. You're still the most beautiful woman in South Philadelphia an' I love you, even if ya do this every day. Now, just lay down here." he put a pillow from the couch under Leigh's head.
She complied and reclined on the couch.
"That's it, Honey. Do ya need a cover? How about I use this little blanket thing on the couch?" He took the hand crocheted afghan made by Leigh's great aunt, draping it over her.
"Thanks, Bill. I think I will lie still for awhile. I'm really dizzy. Oh, damn it! I need to finish doing the dishes." Guarnere kissed her forehead,
"Rest as long as ya need to, Baby. Don't worry about the dishes. I can get 'em done. Let me call Ma, she'll know what to do about this sick an' dizzy stuff." Augusta told her son that this is normal during pregnancy. She told him to get some soda crackers for Leigh to eat after her stomach settled a little more.
"The best thing for her is to get some rest. Tell ya what, I'll call Maria an' ask her to drop me off at your place. I can make some tea an' help both of you learn how to deal wit' this." Bill thanked his mother. He picked up the telephone, carrying it into the next room. Guarnere kept his voice down, telling his mother,
"Ma, I'm worried about Leigh. She's lookin' kinda pale. Thanks for offerin' to come over. I'd pick ya up in our car, but I don't want to leave Leigh by herself when she's feelin' bad. I'd better get back before she decides to finish doin' the dishes." Augusta reassured Bill that Leigh would be OK and that she would see them soon."
Guanere hung up the telephone and carried it back to the living room.
"Baby, Ma is gettin' Maria to bring her here. She said she knows how to help ya deal with bein' sick an' dizzy. " Leigh had her eyes closed and she replied,
"I'm glad she's coming over. Honey, I have to get up and get the dishes done. The kitchen needs to be cleaned up, too. I don't want your mom and Maria to think that I'm bad at keeping our home clean." Bill walked over to stand beside her.
"Honey, you're stayin' right here. If it worries ya that much, I'll get everythin' done." He added,"If ya need anythin' just let me know. Don't try to get up, OK, Honey?" Leigh promised that she would stay on the couch and that she would alert him if she needed help.
Guarnere went into the kitchen. Most of the dishes were washed and put away. He finished washing the remainder of the dishes and he soon had them dried and put away. Cleaning the kitchen didn't take long since it wasn't as messy as Leigh thought it was.
Augusta and Maria soon arrived. Mrs. Guarnere showed Bill how to make ginger tea. She brought the tea into the living room, advising Leigh to,
"Sip a little bit at a time, Sweetie, it will settle your stomach. Another thing that helps is keeping some soda crackers on the table by your bed. Eat one or two about a half hour before ya get up in the morning."
The tea helped settle Leigh's stomach. She thanked Augusta for the tips and she thanked Maria for bringing her mother in law over to visit. Leigh's morning sickness disappeared in her fourth month.
Leigh needed maternity clothes as her figure expanded. She was appalled at the notion that women had to hide something that was natural. Societal norms demanded that any sign of pregnancy should be concealed.
The word 'pregnant' was not used in polite conversations. Women were either described as "expecting" or "having a baby." Since many women worked during and after the war, the dated notion of keeping a visibly pregnant woman sequestered at home until the baby was born was fading away.
She made a few dresses that had panels on the inside of the garments that could be expanded to accommodate her growing figure. Catalogs touted girdles that promised to "disguise" pregnancy.
Leigh's doctor was considered to be radical among his fellow obstetricians because he vetoed the "eating for two" idea. He also advised his patients to not wear the girdles since he thought the garments could harm the developing baby. Support garments for his patients' backs were deemed safe.
One night, during supper, Leigh told Bill,
"You wouldn't believe the number of women who say, 'Oh, I see you're expecting.' I'd like to look them right in their eyes and say, 'I'm knocked up and I enjoyed every minute of getting into this condition!" Guarnere laughed loudly, replying,
"I wouldn't be surprised if ya did it!"
One evening as Bill and Leigh sat on the couch listening to the radio, Leigh felt the baby move for the first time. She excitedly told Bill. He was thrilled by the news, and he put his hand on her slightly rounded midsection, hoping to feel movement.
Although he couldn't feel anything, Bill thought that as the baby grew, he would be able to feel his future son or daughter moving. He excitedly called Augusta who was thrilled to hear the good news.
"Billy, don't worry or feel upset. The first time a baby moves, it's somethin' that only a woman can feel. I can't really explain it, but it's because when a woman is carryin' a baby, it's a small change that only the woman feels sometimes.
I'm sure your baby is just fine and you'll be able to feel your little one movin' around soon." Guarnere thanked his mother for her encouraging words and they ended their conversation.
Later that week, when Bill took Leigh to the obstetrician and gynecologist, he was surprised when the nurse asked if he would like to join Leigh and her doctor in the examination room.
He went into the room and saw Leigh, fully dressed, sitting on the examining table. Dr. Simms, a soft spoken, tall man with dark brown hair, introduced himserlf , telling Bill,
"Mr. Guarnere, your wife asked if you could come into the room to hear something. I just listened to the baby's heartbeat and everything sounds fine. Your wife wanted you to hear the heartbeat, too." He asked Leigh,
"Do you want to be the first one to listen or would you rather have your husband be first?"
"I think the baby's father should be the first to hear the heartbeat." Dr. Simms got a stethoscope and positioned it on Leigh's abdomen. He smiled, then he asked Leigh to hold the stethoscope in place.
"You're all set, Daddy. Just put the ends in your ears." Bill followed the doctor's instructions and he had a big smile on his face as he heard the strong, rhythmic beating of the baby's heart.
"It's comin' in loud an' clear! This is so amazin' an' wonderful! Sweetheart, thanks for lettin' me come in to hear this."
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Bill listened a few seconds more and he removed the ends of the stethoscope, handing them to Leigh. She put the ends in her ears and immediately smiled.
"You're right, Bill, this is both amazing and wonderful to hear our baby's heartbeat. This absolutely makes my day!" Bill and Leigh embraced as the doctor commented,
"I never get tired of seeing the happiness of future parents when they hear their child's heartbeat for the first time. It's obvious that Mamma and Daddy love each other and their baby. I'm happy for both of you." He added,
"Thank you for your service, Mr. Guarnere. I wanted to enlist, but I'm 45 years old. That's too old for Uncle Sam. My son is 11 years old and he has been enthralled with paratroopers. He wants very much to be a Screaming Eagle someday.
Your wife has been telling me about your bravery on the battlefield, especially in Bastogne. You made quite a significant sacrifice for our country. I was wondering, if it wouldn't be an imposition, if I could get your autograph for my son. He would be over the moon to have an autograph from a real Airborne Screaming Eagle."
"Sure thing, Sir. I'd be glad to sign my name for your son. You're welcome, an' servin' our country was the right thing to do. My sweet wife brags too much about me. I ain't a hero. The heroes are the men who didn't get to come home.
I was just doin' my job, just like every other man in the Army, Navy, Air Force an' the Marines. I'm proud of what I gave for our country. Let me call the man who was our leader. I'll see if he has any extra Screamin' Eagle (he pronounced these words as 'scrimmin' iggles') patches. If he does, I'll ask him to send one to me an' I'll give it to you for your son." The doctor thanked Bill and gave him a pen and a pad of paper. He asked the doctor for his son's name and then he wrote:
"For Jimmy Simms, best wishes to you. Staff Sergeant William J. Guarnere, 101st Airborne, Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment."
The doctor thanked Bill and Guarnere thanked him for allowing him to hear the baby's heartbeat. When Bill and Leigh returned home, he immediately called his mother.
"Ma, Leigh's doctor let me hear the baby's heart. It was good and strong soundin'. It was amazin'! I coulda listened to it all day." Augusta was happy to hear the good news.
"Billy, that's wonderful! You got to do somethin' your pop didn't get to do. He wanted to listen to your heart, but the doctor didn't want husbands in the examination room. He was real strict.
You really get to understand what a miracle it is when ya hear that little heart beatin'. I'm so happy for you an' Leigh and I'm lookin' forward to meetin' my sweet grandchild."
From that point on, until the baby arrived, both Bill and Leigh talked to the baby. Guarnere kissed Leigh's bulging abdomen telling the baby,
"This is your Pop, little one. Your ma an' I love you, an' we're lookin' forward to meetin' you. Kid, you got the most beautiful ma in the entire city."
One night after making love, Leigh began to giggle.
"I think we either woke the baby or he or she wasn't impressed with moving around so much. I feel some kicking going on." Guarnere placed his hands on her abdomen and laughed as he felt the kicking. He told the baby,
"What your ma an' I done is somethin' we do 'cause we love each other."
Leigh felt huge at end of her second trimester. One evening as they sat on the couch, listening to the radio, Guarnere made a joking remark that would have usually resulted in her laughing and calling him a "smart ass." Bill had no intention of insulting Leigh when he told her,
"I've always heard that fat ladies are great singers. You should be doin' your best singin' soon." Bill's words deeply hurt Leigh.
"I never thought you would say something to hurt me. How could you be so mean spirited?" She got up and walked into the kitchen. From there, she went outdoors, slamming the door.
Leigh considered walking to her in-laws' house, but she didn't want to involve them in the situation and upset them. She sat on the back steps and began to cry.
Bill was close behind her. He turned on the outside light from a light switch in the kitchen and saw tears running down her face. He thought,
"What the hell was I thinkin'? I hurt my angel. Why did I have to run my mouth like a goddamned moron?" He opened the kitchen door and went down the steps to stand by Leigh.
"Sweet Baby, I'm so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt ya an' make ya cry." Leigh didn't look at Bill or answer him. He tried to find a way to get her to go back into the house.
"Baby, it probably ain't safe for ya to be out here by yourself." She answered without looking at him,
"I'm very safe. Who would want to molest an ugly fat lady like me?" Bill felt deeply ashamed.
"Won't ya at least look at me, Leigh?" She turned her head to look at him. Bill could see the emotional pain in her eyes.
"There, I looked at you. Now, leave me alone."'She turned away from him, adding, "There was nothing remotely funny about what you said.
I've never been cruel or mean to you. Everything I've done for you was done out of love. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty because if I had everything to do over, I'd still cook for you to help you get stronger and I would still try to save you from getting shot."
She paused to wipe away some tears before adding, "Damn it, Bill, you really hurt me!" Leigh turned away from him as she began to sob. She got up with difficulty.
Guarnere held out his hand to help steady Leigh so she could have an easier time getting up. She brushed his hand away and walked up the stairs, into the kitchen. From there, she went to their bedroom, turned on the light and closed the door.
Leigh got a small suitcase out of the closet, opened it and placed it on the bed. She started to put in a few items of clothing, thinking,
"I can go home, but how can I tell Mom and Dad that Bill doesn't love me anymore?" She sat on the bed beside the suitcase and began to cry in earnest with deep, wracking sobs. The last time she cried in that manner was when she learned from Nixon that Bill was seriously injured in Bastogne.
Bill followed her upstairs. He could hear her sobbing before he entered their bedroom. Upon entering the room, he was shocked to see the suitcase on the bed.
Guarnere felt consumed by guilt. He sat beside Leigh on the bed and put his arm around her after offering his handkerchief. She took the handkerchief and used it, placing it on the floor.
"Seein' you this upset 'cause o' somethin' I done is like a knife in my heart. Why are ya packin' a suitcase?" Her statement hit him like a hammer.
"Our marriage is over."
"Baby, what are ya talkin' about? You're ready to walk out because of somethin' I said? Let's talk about this, please, Leigh."
"You wouldn't have said something that hurtful if you loved me." Leigh broke down sobbing again. Bill pulled her close to him, rubbing her back to soothe her.
"No, no, no! That ain't true at all. I love you wit' all o' my heart. Please, Sweetheart, don't say or think our marriage is over. You need to listen to me. I ain't losin' my angel over somethin' stupid that I said. Leigh,I've never been more sorry for sayin' somethin' in my whole life.
You don't need to leave, ain't no reason for ya to go anywhere." Guarnere put his hands on her shoulders, gently turning Leigh to face him. He tenderly cupped her face in his hands.
"Baby, I'm sorry for runnin' my mouth like a goddamned fool. I never meant to hurt your feelins an' I hate myself for upsettin' you this bad." He got up and walked to the chest of drawers where he opened the middle drawer and got out a few of her lace edged handkerchiefs. Then, he returned to the bed, sat down and dried her tears with one handkerchief.
"Sweetheart, you're still beautiful to me, especially since our baby is growin' inside ya." He tenderly kissed Leigh, adding, "You kinda have this glow an' your body is luscious right now. Don't feel fat or ugly, because you ain't. In my eyes, you'll always be a beautiful angel.
I hope you can forgive me. I'd give anythin' to take back what I said, an' I wish I never said it. Ma told me some things about women who are expectin'. I shoulda used my head an' not acted like a moron."
He continued to hold Leigh close to him while stroking her back. It took awhile, but she calmed down. Then, she moved back enough to look at Bill,
"I forgive you, Honey. I know my hormones are giving me mood swings and I'm overreacting to things that wouldn't usually upset me. What you said hurt, but I'll get over it because I know you didn't intend to hurt me in the first place. "Thanks for being so sweet and understanding."
"I promise to think before I go runnin' my mouth like that again." Guarnere stood up, extending his hand to help her stand up. Once Leigh was standing, Bill took the suitcase off of the bed and put it into the closet.
"Would ya like to go downstairs an' listen to the radio before we go to bed?" She told him yes and they returned to the living room. Later that night, they made love tenderly, snuggling together until they fell asleep.
The doctor had already decided that Leigh's pelvis was too small for her to deliver the baby naturally and he told her that she would have to have a procedure known as a C-section. The Caesarian surgery involved cutting into her abdomen and removing the baby from her uterus. A date for the procedure was selected for the beginning of her ninth month.
Baby showers and lots of baby clothes from Maria and Julia ensured that the newest family member had all the necessary items. The Andrews Sisters surprised both Bill and Leigh when they paid for two years of diaper service and purchased a $500 savings bond for the baby.
Leigh had a great deal of difficulty getting into and getting up from a chair. She encountered the same problem with the couch. After an appointment with the doctor, Leigh started to laugh once she and Bill were out of the office.
"Oh, my God! I've never seen anything funnier than a room filled with women who are wallowing getting out of the chairs or cautiously and slowly sitting down. Yes, I know that I do the same thing." Guarnere grinned,
"It did look kinda funny, but I didn't wanna to laugh at them an' I sure as hell didn't wanna laugh at ya for doin' the same thing."
The day for the surgery arrived. Leigh's parents were staying in a hotel because they didn't want to give Leigh and Bill the added hassle of having guests.
Both sets of parents and Bill went into the hospital's waiting room in the Maternity Ward. He tried not to worry about his wife and the baby, but he felt anxious every time a nurse came to the door to announce the name of a new father. Bill thought smoking a few cigarettes would help calm him, but they didn't ease his anxiety.
Finally, a nurse walked into the waiting room. Bill's parents and the Spencers heard the nurse tell Bill,
"Mr. Guarnere, your wife did just fine with the surgery. Since she had the 'Twilight Sleep' for her procedure, the doctor wanted to wait until your wife was no longer feeling sedated. Would you like to visit her and your son?" The new grandparents hugged each other and Bill quickly got up from the chair in which he thought he'd waited a lifetime.
The nurse walked down the hall, showing him the room. He walked in and immediately smiled when he saw Leigh holding the baby. Since she didn't go through hours of labor, the new mother had her hair brushed, her lipstick was freshly applied and the nurse had given her a sponge bath. Bill kissed her.
"Baby, you look beautiful." Guarnere bent down to place a tender kiss on his son's cheek. Leigh told him,
"I know we agreed to decide on a name together, but I chose his name. I hope you don't mind. Bill, I want you to meet William Henry Guarnere."
"Sweetheart, that's wonderful. I ain't upset one bit. I just wish..."
"It's OK to cry, Honey." Bill assured her that he was fine.
"Would you like to hold him, Pop?"
"Oh, hell, yes!"
Bill had previous experiences handling his sisters' newborns. He carefully picked up his son, supporting his head and back.
"Look at all o' that hair! We have a handsome son, Baby. He's really alert. I bet he's smart like his ma."
"You're very level headed and smart, too, Bill. He looks just like his pop. I hope Billy acts like you, too."
"He's smilin' at me! Sweetheart, he loves me already!"
"Of course he loves you. Billy has heard your voice for a long time. He knows you. Honey, if you hand him back to me, there are two items in that bottom drawer behind you. I bought one and made the other for him. The stuff in the middle drawer can wait until we have a little girl." Bill protested,
"Do I have to give him back already?" Leigh assured him that he could hold Billy as soon as he got the items out of the drawer. He gave the baby back to her and opened the drawer, extracting a small Philadelphia Phillies baseball cap.
"Honey, that's cute. It's a little bit big, but he'll grow into it. Maybe he'll be a baseball fan like his uncle." Bill looked into the drawer and pulled out a one piece sleeper garment.
Leigh had embroidered Guarnere on the front of the garment and she had also embroidered tiny sergeant's stripes at the top of each sleeve.
"That's somethin' else, Baby. I love it! You even got his name on the front an' ya done a great job on those stripes. They look like the real thing!" Leigh handed Billy to him.
"I made the same designs on three other sleepers so he can have a fresh outfit when we have visitors. Honey, after we're released from the hospital and settled in, how about getting a family portrait done?"
"That's a wonderful idea. I love it! Baby, I insist on helpin' wit' diaper changin', bathin' him, whatever needs to be done. This is somethin' I really wanna do." He noticed that Leigh was quiet.
"Are ya feelin' OK, Sweetheart?"
"You should add feeding to the list. Bill, you're married to a freak. Not only could I not bring him into the world the usual way, I can't nurse the baby because the milk ducts in my breasts never developed fully. You noticed, without a doubt, that my breasts didn't get bigger. There's no way to fix what's wrong with me."
"You ain't a freak, Leigh. If we have to use bottles, then that's what we'll do." He handed Billy back to Leigh.
"We'd better give our folks a chance to meet him." Leigh agreed and Bill went back to the waiting room. He found a nurse and asked if both families could go into the room together. She told him that was fine, but no additional visitors were allowed in with them.
Leigh held her son in her arms, softly singing to him. Bill stepped into the waiting room,
"Both families are allowed in. C'mon back an' meet our perfect little boy." Both sets of parents immediately fell in love with the newborn. When Leigh introduced Billy, Mrs. Guarnere cried, telling her,
"Sweetie, that's a beautiful thing ya done, namin' him for his uncle." She dried her tears with a lacy handkerchief. Bill's father brushed away a few tears, too.
The Spencers and the elder Guarneres thought the Phillies hat was adorable and they loved the embroidered 'onesie' sleeper. Little Billy smiled and tolerated being passed from grandparent to grandparent in a good natured manner. Louise and Augusta said that Billy's smile was probably due to him having gas, but Bill insisted that his son was smiling at him.
Both families agreed that he looked exactly like his father and they declared that he was perfect. Bill and Leigh agreed with their parents' assessment of Billy.
When the grandparents returned to the waiting room, Teresa Guarnere and her sisters were there, eagerly waiting to see the baby. Bill told them,
"Good to see all of ya. Follow me an' you'll see the most handsome baby boy in Philadelphia." When they entered Leigh's hospital room, she was holding Billy and singing to him. The sisters also fell in love with their new nephew. Teresa was the first to hold him. She told Bill and Leigh,
"He's a cutie and he looks like his pop. Will ya just look at those long eyelashes! I'd be happy to babysit anytime." Maria held him next, and she was enjoying meeting her nephew. She told Leigh,
"You're lookin' great for a woman who just went through labor. This little one is an angel!" Leigh thanked her.
"My pelvis is too narrow, even with the expansion that naturally happens during labor, so I had to have a C-Section." Maria told her,
"Don't hesitate to call me to help wit' him. You'll need to do some healin' an' my kids are old enough to stay on their own. My God, he looks like his pop!" Leigh smiled.
"Thanks for the offer to help, Maria. I'm restricted from lifting and doing normal household activities until the sutures come out. I agree, he's handsome like his pop." Bill said,
"In all the excitement, we didn't tell all of ya his name. Honey, tell 'em his name. She done a wonderful thing."
"We'd like you to meet William Henry Guarnere." The sisters smiled, then wiped away some tears. They thought that naming the baby for his uncle was "somethin' beautiful." By then, the baby was in Julia's arms. She kissed his cheek.
"You two have a little angel. He's perfect!" She held him close to her with one arm as she got a handkerchief out of her purse. She asked Maria,
"Would ya please hold him? I need to get a handkerchief out of my purse an' use it." Maria held Billy while Julia dried her tears and blew her nose. In addition to Bill, she was also close to Henry. Then, Billy was returned to her arms.
"You can call Aunt Julia for help, too. I'd enjoy helpin' you an' this sweetheart. Leigh, it might not feel like it now, but you're better off havin' that surgery. You'll still be tight downstairs, if ya catch my drift." She, Teresa, Maria and Leigh giggled. Bill looked horrified.
"Holy God, Julia!" She laughed at his reaction and teased him by saying,
"We all know how babies get here. I was just statin' a fact, baby brother. Are ya sayin' that you ain't pleased wit' your wife still bein' 'like new' downstairs?" Bill slightly blushed as Leigh laughed loudly.
"Yes, I think it's great news. Can we please stop talkin' about this stuff?" His sisters' laughter continued. Julia noted,
"Hang on. This little fella's wet. Where are the diapers?" Leigh told her,
"They're in the top drawer of the cabinet behind Bill." Julia asked,
"Do ya know how to change a diaper?" Bill admitted that he had no idea of what to do. Leigh also admitted that she'd never changed a diaper.
"Watch me an' learn." Julia walked them through the basics, adding,
"Be sure to have extra material in the front, to protect his little..." Bill interrupted his sister,
"Thanks, Julia, I get the idea." She laughed.
"Are you gonna turn red again?"
"No, I just get what you're sayin'." The baby managed to slightly spray his aunt while she was working on the diaper. Bill laughed.
"He has a hell of a good aim. Spray her again, Billy!" Everyone in the room laughed. Julia grinned,
"Billy just brought up the next thing I was gonna tell ya. Little baby boys do this a lot, so be prepared." She smiled at Billy.
"Sweetie, make sure an' spray your old man like a good little boy." Billy grinned at her.
"I swear to God, he just smiled at me! That ain't no gas, that's a smile."
"He smiled earlier, but Ma an' Mrs. Spencer said it was gas." Bill looked at Billy.
"That's a smile, no doubt about it. Thanks for showin' us how to change diapers, Julia. Thank all of ya for offerin' to help us until Leigh is back on her feet." Leigh told them,
"Your offer to help is greatly appreciated." The sisters each held and kissed Billy once more before leaving, promising to return the next day. They agreed that Leigh and Bill needed to rest.
Before they left, Bill showed them the baseball cap and the specially embroidered 'onesie.'
"Leigh made this an' three other sleepers wit' this design. She done a hell of a good job wit' the stripes, they look like the ones on my old uniform." The sisters agreed with Bill, telling his wife that she "done a great job" with the sleepers.
After they left, Bill placed Billy back into Leigh's arms. A nurse came into the room, saying that she had to take Billy back to the nursery. Both parents reluctantly let him go, giving him kisses before the nurse took him out of the room. Bill sat on the edge of Leigh's bed.
He gently embraced her and gave Leigh a tender kiss. Bill reluctantly ended the kiss and cupped her face in his hands.
"My heart's about to burst wit' all the love I have for you, Baby. Gettin' Billy is one o' the best things that ever happened to me." He gave Leigh a more passionate kiss and she eagerly returned it.
"I love you to the moon and back, Honey. Thanks for giving me Billy. When I'm completely healed from surgery, how about exploring my downstairs?" Bill chuckled,
"I'm lookin' forward to it, Sweetheart."
"Sorry I laughed when you blushed, but your reaction was funny."
" That's OK, Leigh. Even if ya laugh, I still love my sassy angel. I guess I'd better get home an' let ya get some rest. I'll see you an' Billy tomorrow.
Baby, I'm sorry that I didn't bring roses for ya. I wanted you to have somethin' special, but I was so worried about the surgery, I didn't think of buyin' some in the gift shop downstairs." Leigh told Bill that he didn't need to buy a gift for her. The nurse returned to let them know that visiting hours were over. Bill kissed Leigh's hand and left the room.
She got comfortable in the hospital bed and soon went to sleep. Bill called George Luz and Johnny Martin when he got home, telling then about Billy's arrival.
The following day, Bill brought in a vase containing one dozen red roses with a small ribbon banner on the vase that said "Mother" in gold foil letters.
"You shouldn't have spent so much money, but I'm glad you did. Honey, the roses are beautiful!" Guarnere was pleased that she enjoyed the roses.
"Baby, you deserve a whole room filled wit' roses. I wanted everybody in the flower shop to know that we have a healthy, handsome little boy. I didn't have the flowers delivered 'cause I wanted to bring 'em to ya myself. I wanted to celebrate an' thank you for Billy. I love you, Leigh." Bill leaned down to embrace and kiss Leigh.
"I love you, too, Bill. Remember, you're half of the reason we have Billy. I need to find a way to thank you for our sweet son. What would you like for your gift?" Guarnere thought for a moment.
"When you're able to cook again, how about my favorite meal an' some pizzelles?"
"That's fine with me, Honey. How about some antipasto, too?"
"That would be perfect, Baby." She added, "When I get back to work, I'm going to dedicate all the songs on one show to you. I already discussed this with my boss before I got admitted to the hospital."
"You're somethin' else, Leigh. I'm lookin' forward to that show."
By the end of the week, everyone Guarnere knew in Easy Company knew about Billy. Colonel Sink and Dick Winters both purchased a $50 Savings Bond for the newest member of the Guarnere family. Bill's brothers in arms chipped in for a $100 Savings Bond for their new nephew. The Andrews Sisters sent a dozen pink roses to Leigh and they also paid for two years of diaper service, cleaning and delivery included.
Numerous cards were sent to Bill and Leigh, congratulating them on the birth of their son. After an eight day stay in the hospital, Bill took his wife and Billy home. During the 1940s and into part of the 1950s, hospitals kept maternity patients and newborns hospitalized longer than they are hospitalized in the 21st Century.
With help from Bill's sisters and Guarnere himself, Billy got accustomed to his home.Leigh healed at a normal rate and she was soon able to take care of her son and return to work. One of Bill's sisters or his mother was always on hand to help with Billy until Leigh got back from work in the early afternoon.
Leigh was determined to get her figure back and she consulted Dr. Simms about the best exercises to accomplish her goal. She exercised faithfully and had her figure back before the year was over.
Bill was true to his word. He eagerly helped with Billy, changing diapers, feeding him and giving the baby his bath. Leigh admired his skill at getting Billy back to sleep after some loud crying.
She asked Bill what he did and he told her that he just sat and talked to Billy. Leigh thought that Billy found his pop's voice soothing. One night, after Bill got the baby to sleep. He returned to their bedroom, telling Leigh, in a soft voice so he didn't wake Billy,
"Baby, I swear to God that he laughed. I was tellin' Billy the story of how I met ya, an' when I got to the part about you kickin' that guy's ass, he laughed." Leigh kissed him and put her head on his chest. Bill wrapped his arms around her. They were soon asleep.
"The Past Catches Up With Bill-An Army Records Snafu"
"I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny. "
*Author's Note: All info about Guarnere's military records comes from his and Babe's book. Frannie Guarnere wrote letters to Dick Winters, etc. to obtain proof of Bill's being promoted to Staff Sergeant. Bill's son and eldest granddaughter told the stories included here in a podcast.*
One evening, after supper, Bill was helping Leigh with the supper dishes. She noted that he was unusually quiet.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
"Baby, I gotta tell ya somethin', an' I hope it doesn't upset ya." As Bill collected his thoughts on how to tell Leigh what was on his mind, she wondered what was going on.
"I wanna quit the government job. I know it's a good job, but bein' behind a desk all day ain't for me. This doesn't mean I'm gonna sit back an' expect ya to support us.
I read in the newspaper the other day that veterans can get money for school. I was thinkin' about learnin' a trade that would get more money for us. Now that I told ya, I hope you ain't too mad at me."
Leigh put her hand on Bill's shoulder,
"Honey, why would I be upset with you wanting a different job? I'm behind you 100 percent with whatever you choose to do." Guarnere felt more at ease.
"Thanks for understandin', Baby, an' for supportin' me. I had another idea about a job. Doin' something' wit' my hands is perfect work for me. I've really enjoyed construction work. "
"As long as it makes you happy, do what you want to do."
"Leigh, you're an angel."
Bill decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill for educational expenses. He was interested in engineering and enrolled in classes. Unfortunately, he had to cancel his education after going to college for in Philadelphia for six months due to the government denying him the money.
When Guarnere was shot and wounded in Holland, he went AWOL from the military hospital when he learned that he was headed to a "Repo Depot," in other words, he would be reassigned to another unit.
Bill wanted to go back to Easy Company, so he painted his cast black with shoe polish to make it look like a boot. He made it as far as an airfield before being caught.
Guarnere told the Military Police that he would go AWOL again if he wasn't assigned to Easy Company. From that point until he was released from the hospital, Bill had to walk and then run in order to get himself in shape for combat. The military busted him down to Private from his previous rank of Staff Sergeant.
Somehow, the paperwork about his demotion got lost in the shuffle, so Guarnere remained Staff Sergeant.
His records only indicated that he went AWOL when he got back to the United States, his promotion to Staff Sergeant wasn't included.
Upon learning about the reason for losing the money for his education, Bill realized he was in for a long haul with the government.
Leigh wrote to Dick Winters and other officers, asking them to send letters on behalf of Bill to verify his claim that he was never officially demoted. He wasn't receiving the money for his disability due to this error.
In an interview many years after this event, Guarnere said,
"I had a hell of a time straightening out records." That was an understatement. He got officially and honorably discharged from the Army as a private in 1946.
The government then decided Bill owed them back pay since he was paid as a Staff Sergeant and discharged as a private.
Leigh was so irate that she wanted to give an interview on the radio and in print with the local newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer about the situation. She envisioned headlines along the lines of "Army Denies Songbird's Hero Husband Rank and Salary"
Bill discouraged this idea, saying,
"Baby, I know ya wanna help me, an' that ya love me an that you're pissed off wit' the Army, but this ain't the way to do it. I believe they (the Army) will do the right thing. We just need to be patient."
"After what you sacrificed, they have no right to treat you this way!"
"I was only doin' my job. If ya think about it, I went against Buck's orders to stay in my foxhole. If that would come out, if we had a hearing, it wouldn't help my case.
Leigh, I appreciate ya wantin' to help me, but a man has to fight his own battles sometimes." She immediately understood that Bill didn't want her doing what he thought was his work to do with the government and the Army.
Leigh didn't like not getting involved, but she respected and loved Bill too much to go against his wishes. This was an era where men were largely in power and a woman taking action like this would go against the societal norms.
It took about eight years for Bill to get his back pay. He was, at first, considered 60 percent disabled and he got about $145-$150 per month.
Since he took the disability money, he couldn't use that money for his education due to governmental rules.
By the 1960s, the artificial leg was causing blood clots. Bill went through several wooden legs. When they wore out, he burned some of them. Some kids in the neighborhood wanted the legs. He gave one of the legs to a friend of his son.
His son later recalled in a podcast that his friend's sister "screamed her head off" when she saw the leg in their basement.
Bill's eldest granddaughter said in the same podcast, that they "should've saved the legs and made a table."
There was a danger of the blood clots going to Guarnere's heart or lungs. He told his doctor, who in turn informed the government,
"You're gonna get me on the damn leg an' get me workin', or get me off the damn thing right now an' give me full disability." Bill was granted full disability in 1967.
After a couple of years of fighting the government, Guarnere went to a hearing in Washington, D.C. where he was exonerated and his records were officially corrected.
While this was going on, Bill worked as a salesman, he also sold rugs and worked for U.S. Gypsum. Prior to doing construction work full-time, Guarnere worked as exterminator.
When Stephen Ambrose interviewed Bill about the records snafu, he asked,
"Mr. Guarnere, are you angry with the government because of the mistake they made with your files?"
"Hell, no! What are you gonna accomplish? I was one of the ones who got lumped. You take your lumps and it all works out in the end."
*Author's note: Wild Bill purchased a rundown beach house in New Jersey. He did construction work until the house was completely remodeled. He, Frannie and their eldest son stayed in the house on occasion. This was before the birth of his second son. Guarnere sold the house and bought another beach house to restore and selling it when it was remodeled. This information is in the book he wrote with Babe. Bill commented, "I've always known how to make a few extra dollars." He also said, "Old enough to eat, old enough to work."
The story about Augusta hitting the judge and the hit and run driver on the head with the judge's gavel and Joseph Guarnere hitting a police officer is true. It's also true that Bill's godfather punched a police officer. Augusta really told a woman in the hospital's office to "Keep him (Bill)!" This info came from a collection of letters belonging to Dick Winters that I found online. The line about "lumping the judge" with his gavel also came from the letters.
Bill was known to be largely non materialistic. This info came from his book. He often said, "We were happy with what we had. Now people keep buying more and more stuff."
The idea of paying his nephews to help him finish the first house on the beach came from my imagination, as did the backstory of the elderly nudists who were the former owners of the house.*
In the winter of 1946, Bill purchased a run down beach house in New Jersey. He intended to fix up the house for himself and Leigh to use. Guarnere intended to eventually sell the house and perhaps buy and restore another house for extra income.
He hired Maria's and Julia's sons to do construction work with him and Bill paid the teenage boys fair wages. Guarnere and his nephews finished the house in time for his one year wedding anniversary with Leigh.
She was eager to see the house and they decided to spend their first anniversary on the New Jersey shore. During the drive to the beach house, they were reminiscing on how they met. Bill told Leigh,
"When I saw ya kickin' that guy's ass at Toccoa, that reminded me o' Ma. You're fiery, like her."
"What makes you say that, Honey? I'm not calling you a liar, but I've never seen Mama acting that way. He laughed,
"Let me tell ya about somethin' Ma done when I was 15. I was out roller skatin' in the street. Some guy in a car hit my ass. It was a hit an' run. I had to go to the hospital an' I was there four days.
The cops got hold o' the guy an' he paid off the judge. We went to court, an' the judge wanted to dismiss the case due to lack o' evidence. It made Ma furious an' she went up, grabbed the judge's gavel an' lumped him on the head wit' it twice."
"Oh, my God! I can't picture her doing that."
"That ain't all, Baby. After she done that, she lumped the hit an' run guy. Then, a cop tried to get hold o' her. Pop punched him. Another cop got after Pop, an' my godfather punched him. Nothin' happened 'cause they figured the judge didn't want word to get out that the case was fixed."
Leigh was shocked, then she started to laugh.
"If ya think that's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') funny, wait until I tell ya about Ma an' the hospital bill. I got better an' I was ready to go home, but we didn't have $45 to pay the bill.
Ma talked to some lady in the office an' she said I couldn't be released until the bill was paid. That got Ma fired up, an' she said, 'Keep him!'" More laughter ensued from Leigh, and Bill joined in.
When Bill pulled their car into the driveway in front of the beach house, Leigh looked at the white one story house,
"Honey, it's beautiful! You and the boys made it look new." Bill was proud of his work and he was extremely pleased that Leigh liked the way the house looked.
"Wait 'til ya see the inside, Baby. We redid the wirin', the plumbin', we put new linoleum in the kitchen an' new carpet in the bedroom. The boys an' I kinda scrounged around an' found furniture for the dinin' room an' the bedroom. I refinished the wood, stripped the old stuff off an' it looks brand new."
He got out of the car, went to the passenger side door, opened it for Leigh and they walked hand in hand to the front door. Bill got the key from his pocket, opened the door and carried Leigh into the house.
"I wanted to carry ya over the threshold, Sweetheart." He put her down in the living room. The floor was light colored hardwood that would be easier to keep dirt and sand free than carpet.
Augusta had provided white Priscilla curtains for the windows and Bill bought the blinds. He found a good deal on a tan colored couch with matching chairs that he purchased from a co-worker. The co-worker included a nice coffee table and end tables, both light colored wood and two tan colored lamps with white shades.
Julia donated two snake plants in neutral colored planters. Maria made new covers for the throw pillows on the couch that complimented the tan coloring. Teresa bought a small radio for the living room.
Leigh smiled as she looked around the living room,
"It's lovely, Bill." He explained how his sisters helped and how he got the living room furniture.
"Ma gave us the curtains, an' everybody kicked in an' gave us a completely stocked kitchen. Sure, most of it's used, but I got a new set o' dishes an' silverware. I've been savin' some money for this place an' I wanted to get a few things. I got a new set o' sheets for our bed an' a nice bedspread from that fancy store where I bought your red dress.
I was hopin' maybe you could make some o' them embroidered pictures for the walls an' we could bring a few pictures from home. We got a copy o' our weddin' picture an' the portrait like we gave to our folks."
"I'd be delighted to make some counted cross stitch pictures, Honey. The portraits will really make it like home."
Bill showed her the kitchen, with a new white linoleum floor and light yellow paint on the walls. As promised, the kitchen table and chairs looked new.
"I didn't wanna choose curtains for ya, Baby. Maybe you could sew some?"
"I already have some ideas, Bill. This kitchen looks so cheery and bright. Look at that view of the ocean! It's gorgeous!" She noticed a wooden walkway from the kitchen door to the beach.
"Bill, it's just like something from a magazine. This is such a wonderful place." Leigh embraced and kissed him.
"I'm glad ya like it, Baby. C'mon, let me show ya the rest o' the place!" He led her to the bathroom down the hall. The floor was white linoleum. Blue and white tile covered the walls. The cabinet was freshly painted white and new silver colored faucets gleamed. A white bathtub with a shower and toilet completed the room. Guarnere opened a cabinet by the door that was at shoulder level.
"We made this big enough to hold towels, washcloths an' cleanin' stuff. It's up higher, so when we bring our kids, they won't be able to reach the cleanin' stuff. That'll keep 'em from gettin' poisoned." Leigh smiled,
"You'll be a wonderful Pop. You're already thinking ahead of their safety. This is a beautiful bathroom, Honey." Bill was pleased with Leigh's remark and he tenderly kissed her.
"Thanks, Sweetheart. You're gonna be one hell of a good Ma. Speakin' o' kids, follow me. We can use this for the kids' bedroom." They left the bathroom and walked a few steps down the hall to a small room with a window overlooking the beach. Bunk beds were set up by the window. The room was painted white.
"I bought the bunk beds, pretty cheap, from another guy at work. I redid the finish on 'em an' they're in real good shape. 'course there's the light fixture in here. We could get a night light if we need it." The room had the same light colored hardwood floor and the white Priscilla curtains as the living room. A light blue throw rug was beside the beds.
"I can picture sea shells on the window sill that the kids would find on the beach." Leigh looked to the right of the bed and saw a small wooden box with a hinged lid.
"You made a toy box! That's good planning, Bill." He grinned,
"We've gotta have a place for their toys." He crossed the room and opened a door,
"Here's the closet."
"It looks great, Honey."
"Now, come see our bedroom." She followed him to the room at the end of the hall. Bill stepped back, allowing her to enter the room first. She saw the beige carpet, a bed, end tables, a dresser with a mirror and a chest of drawers, all in light colored wood.
Beige wallpaper with white sea shells covered the walls. White Priscilla curtains covered a window overlooking the beach. An obviously new white chenille bedspread with small, beige sea shells covered the bed.
"Honey, this room is beautiful! You could do construction professionally." Bill walked up to stand behind Leigh, embracing her. He kissed her neck before replying,
"Thanks, Baby. I wanted to make everythin' look nice, 'specially our bedroom. It took a long time to get this room done, but it's worth it, knowin' ya like it."
"I love it! The bedspread really pulls everything together. Where did you find this lovely wallpaper?"
"The wallpaper came from that paint an' wallpaper store that's close to Ma's and Pop's house.
This room has a closet, too. I shoulda taken some pictures o' this place before we fixed it up. Everythin' was run down, kinda old lookin'. I've gotta admit doin' this kinda work is relaxin' in a way. I like workin' wit' my hands."
"I didn't realize you knew how to do all of these things, plumbing, wiring, hanging wallpaper and doing the floors and the tile in the bathroom."
"I learned real young. Pop would put me an' my brothers to work. He would always say, 'Old enough to eat, old enough to work.' We learned somethin' useful an' it could make money for us, too. I've always known how to make a few extra dollars.
Let me show ya one more thing." Bill took Leigh's hand, leading her to a set of French doors on the opposite side of the room. He opened the door and Leigh walked into a small portion of the yard that was surrounded by a tall white fence.
"This will be great for private sunbathing and we can also use it for a patio." Bill chuckled,
"The guy an' his wife who owned this before I bought it are about 80 years old an' they're nudists. I ain't got a problem wit' that, but, Holy God! No wonder they put up a fence. Nobody needs to see that."
"I have to ask, were they nude when you met them."
"No, thank God!"
After they carried in food and luggage from the car, Leigh fixed supper. While the food cooked, they got everything put away. Leigh ensured that they had a fresh can of coffee. Bill loved coffee and he drank several cups per day.
She asked Bill before they went on their trip about his choice for their anniversary supper. He wanted his favorite dish, spaghetti with one meatball, so she brought homemade pasta and made his favorite gravy (sauce) with Italian sausage. Leigh also had homemade antipasto, homemade garlic bread and she bought a bottle of their favorite red wine.
The table was set with a new tablecloth, yellow and white dishes, silverware, wine glasses and candles placed in antique milk glass candle holders. She lit the candles and Bill helped her serve their meal. He pulled out her chair before sitting down, then he asked the blessing. After supper was over, Guarnere told her,
"Sweetheart, ya done an excellent job wit' the food, as usual. You're like your Ma an' my Ma, one hell of a good cook."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Honey."
"I like seein' you in those pants, Baby. They show off that sweet ass." Leigh was wearing cream colored trousers, a matching short sleeved blouse and sandals. Bill was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black trousers, a belt, socks and shoes.
They washed the dishes together and then they listened to the radio until twilight as Bill smoked a cigarette. A full moon was out. Bill and Leigh decided to take a walk on the beach.
Leigh brought an old blanket to spread out on the sand. Bill had a small picnic basket containing two wine glasses and a small bottle of champagne that was removed from the refrigerator before they walked down the path to the beach. There was enough champagne for each of them to have two glasses.
They held hands and strolled down the wooden walkway to the beach. A full moon was out and the beach, as far as they could see, was vacant. There was no need to carry a flashlight to navigate on the walkway or the beach. The bright moonlight allowed them to see without extra light.
Leigh felt the small box containing Bill's anniversary gift gently striking her left hip through the pocket in her linen trousers. She had the cream colored trouser legs rolled up to her shins to allow herself to easily walk in the sand or wade in the surf.
Two months before their trip, she and Bill were talking while they washed, dried and put away the supper dishes. Bill was talking about a friend with whom he worked.
"Gene was showin' me a present his wife gave him for his birthday. It was a sterlin' silver cigarette lighter. The place where Annie bought it did free engravin', an' she had his initials put on it. It looked real classy. Somethin' like that is probably real expensive."
Leigh took note of his statement, because Bill rarely spoke of material things. He was content to live modestly. Still, she knew him well enough to deduce that the lighter was something he would like to have.
The following day, during her lunch break, Leigh called Teresa at work and asked if the jewelry store had sterling silver cigarette lighters with free engraving.
Teresa told her that the store charged per letter for engraving, but she lowered her voice and told Leigh the name of the jewelry store that did free engraving. Leigh thanked her sister-in-law for her help.
Then, Leigh went to the jewelry store and purchased the lighter. She had Bill's initials on one side. The other side of the silver lighter had the date of their wedding and a message, "I love you."
The clerk placed the lighter in a box and wrapped it in heavy silver colored paper with a white ribbon. After work, when she got home, Leigh hid the gift in a box of tampons, knowing that Bill wouldn't look for a gift in that location.
Leigh sat beside Bill on the blanket, resting her head on his left shoulder. Guarnere had his arms wrapped around her.
"I talked with Maxine Andrews the other day before I left work. They have a new song called "Near You" that's about to be released and I adore it. She began to sing,
"There's just one place for me, near you.
It's like heaven to be near you.
Times when we're apart and I can't face my heart.
Say you'll never stay more than just two lips away.
If my hours could be spent near you.
I'd be more than content near you.
Make my life worthwhile by telling me that I'll spend the rest of my days near you."
"That's beautiful, Baby." He moved his right arm away from holding Leigh so he could get the gift wrapped package out of his right trouser pocket.
"Just so happens that I got a little somethin' for your anniversary present." Guarnere handed her the box.
She unwrapped the small box and lifted the lid, seeing a necklace.
"Honey, it's beautiful! What kind of jewels are on this?"
"Teresa said those are moonstones. I never heard of 'em, but I thought the necklace would look good on ya. The chain is gold. Do you like it, Sweetheart? I can exchange it for somethin' else an' my feelins won't be hurt."
"I love it! You shouldn't have spent so much money. Still, I'll have to admit that I'm glad you did. This necklace will remind me of this beautiful moonlit beach. Would you please put it on for me, Honey?"
"Baby, I wanted ya to have somethin' really nice. You've done so much for me. I wanna let you know I appreciate ya." The manager of the jewelry store allowed Bill to put the necklace on layaway. Bill felt proud that he could buy something nice for Leigh.
Guarnere took the necklace out of the box and kissed Leigh's neck before he carefully fastened the clasp of the necklace. He grinned at her slight shiver when his lips made contact with the soft skin on her neck.
"It looks real nice on ya. Teresa said I could get a gold plated necklace, but I wanted somethin' that would last a long time."
" You're really good at selecting the perfect gift for me." Guarnere smiled when he heard Leigh's comment about his gift selecting skills. She added, "Honey, I know you appreciate me. You've always been very sweet and appreciative."
Then, she removed the small box from her trouser pocket and handed it to him.
"I have something for you, too." Bill unwrapped the box. Lifting the lid, he had a big smile on his face when he saw the lighter. He took the lighter out of the box and saw his initials carved on the front.
"Oh, Baby! Is this sterlin' silver? It looks classy wit' my initials on the front. Thanks, Sweetheart! I never thought I'd have somethin' like this." Leigh was pleased that Bill liked his gift.
"Yes, it's sterling silver. There's something else written on the back of the lighter. Guarnere turned over the lighter, reading the inscriptions.
"You're somethin' else, Leigh. You got the happiest day o' my life put on there. I love you, too, Baby." Bill gave Leigh a passionate kiss. After the kiss ended, she cupped his face in her hands, telling him,
"It's the happiest day of my life, too. We had such a beautiful wedding,everything was perfect, including what you told me at the altar."
"I'll never forget how I felt when I saw ya in your weddin' dress. You looked like a real, live angel. Let's have a toast to our first year as husband an' wife." Bill got the bottle of chilled champagne out of the picnic basket and two wine glasses. He undid the wire around the cork, popped the cork and poured a small serving of champagne into each glass. Then, Bill raised his glass,
"To my sweet, gorgeous baby. Thanks for makin' this date the best day o' my life." Leigh smiled and raised her glass,
"To the love of my life. Thanks for making this date the happiest day of my life. Here's to at least 80 more anniversaries." They gently tapped their glasses together and sipped the champagne.
"This is the same brand of champagne you ordered when you proposed in Paris. I remember its delicious flavor. Where did you find it, Honey?"
"I bought it in that fancy department store. A guy at work told me they started carryin' champagne. I kinda remembered enough o' this stuff's name to tell Julia. Her friend found it in stock an' gave me a real nice discount. I'm glad ya like it, Baby. I wanted it to be somethin' special." Leigh finished the champagne in her glass.
"You're so thoughtful, Bill. This is another perfect night, just like the night you proposed. The weather is perfect and we're in a beautiful place." Guarnere felt pleased that she liked his surprise gift of the French champagne. He finished his serving and asked,
"Would ya like a little more o' this, Sweetheart?" Leigh agreed to another serving and Bill poured more champagne for both of them. They sipped their drinks and cuddled as they watched the waves break on the shore. Leigh was smiling as she recalled their wedding reception.
"More than anything, I will always remember the unbridled joy at our reception. I don't think it was just my imagination. It seemed that everyone there was genuinely celebrating our marriage.
"It wasn't your imagination, Baby. I noticed it, too. We had all that great food, good music and dancin'. I think everybody already knew how much we love each other, an' they were celebratin'. Ma told me the other day, when she saw us dancin' together at the weddin' reception, she told Pop that their prayers had been answered. That was a sweet thing for her to say."
"What Mama said was very sweet. I think part of the reason people were celebrating was because the outcome could have been much worse had you not been so tough and determined to live. I still thank God for allowing you to survive." Guarnere carefully placed his wine glass on the blanket, ensuring that it wouldn't spill.
He gently took the glass from Leigh's hand, carefully setting it down and he wrapped his arms around her. Bill tenderly kissed her.
"I married an angel, ain't no doubt about it. He's why I made it, an' you played a big part in gettin' me healthy again. I don't think I could ever do enough to pay ya back for everythin' ya done for me." He gave her a tender kiss that turned passionate. After the kiss ended, Leigh replied,
"Honey, you don't owe me anything. There's no need to pay me back. If you insist on paying me back, you can do it in the bedroom and you can pay me back with some sweet babies when we're ready to start a family. Think of how much fun we'd have taking the kids to play on this beach. We could have a picnic, swim, gather sea shells and make sand castles." Guarnere smiled, imagining playing with their children.
"That would be real nice, bringin' our kids here. I don't think I'll resell this house for a few years so we can enjoy it as a family. Baby, I like that idea o' payin' ya back in the bedroom. I'm always willing' to make love to my beautiful an' sexy angel."
"I'm tempted to wade in the ocean. Would you like to come with me?"
"I'm not tryin' to be your boss, but wadin' in the ocean at night ain't a good idea. I've always heard that the sharks get a little closer to the shore at night. I don't want nothin' bad happenin' to my angel." Leigh slightly shivered at the notion of being attacked by a shark.
"Thanks for telling me, Honey. I didn't know that. No wading at night for me. If I'm attacked or eaten, I want you to be the one attacking or 'eating' me, so to speak." Bill chuckled,
"You little fireball." They decided to go back to the house. Leigh folded up the blanket and carefully placed the champagne glasses and the champagne into the basket. Bill once again insisted upon carrying the blanket and basket. They walked hand in hand to the house.
Leigh decided to move two of the dining room chairs to the fenced in area outside their bedroom. While Bill used the bathroom, she decided to put the blanket on the ground, next to one of the chairs. She had a small surprise in mind for Bill.
Once his business was finished in the bathroom, Guarnere washed his hands and went into the kitchen. He offered to wash the champagne glasses and put them away. Leigh told him to let it go until the following day, but he insisted on taking care of the task.
"Honey, when you get finished, meet me in the yard outside our bedroom."
"Sounds like ya got somethin' planned, Baby." She winked before telling him,
"I have a little...entertainment planned for us."
Leigh took this moment to go to the bedroom and put on the black lace bra, the black lace bolero bed jacket, garter belt and stockings with which she surprised him in Paris. She also inserted her diaphragm and decided to forego wearing the see-through black silk panties, recalling how much Bill enjoyed seeing her with the black lace garter belt and the black silk stockings, minus the panties.
Then, she put on her black high heeled pumps, touched up her lipstick and brushed her hair. She opened the French doors, leaving them open for Bill. Leigh quickly spread the blanket on the ground.
She decided to stand by the edge of the blanket, ensuring that Bill would see her as soon as he walked through the French doors. The thought of making love outdoors fueled her passion. Leigh heard Bill walking down the hall.
"I got everythin' done an' I wanna see what ya got planned for us." He stepped through the open French doors and saw Leigh beneath the full moon. Guarnere froze in his tracks as an extremely wicked grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, Christ! You look so fuckin' gorgeous. I love that outfit." He looked again and noticed her panties were missing. Guarnere walked over, standing in front of her. He removed his shirt, letting it fall on the blanket.
"Baby, I love seein' that beautiful pussy. There's somethin' extra hot about bein' outside like this." He pulled Leigh close to him and they shared an extremely passionate kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair while Bill gently held her ass in his hands. He reluctantly broke the kiss and stretched out on the blanket.
"C'mon over here, an' lower yourself down so I can taste that sweet pussy." Leigh's legs shook slightly as she complied. She was aroused beyond reason and she remembered how good it felt the when they did this on their honeymoon in Columbus, Ohio.
Bill's tongue licked the lips of her sex as he worked his way up to her clit. Then, his lips surrounded her clit and he gently sucked on it. In a few minutes, Leigh shivered as she came. She did her best to keep quiet since she didn't know if anyone was walking on the beach. He continued making love to her with his lips and tongue as she rode out her climax.
Leigh moved to sit on the blanket. Bill sat up, pulling her close to him.
"Seems to me that you're still wearin' too many clothes, Sweetheart." He unfastened the black lace strapless bra, allowing it to fall on the blanket.
"That's better. I love to see all o' you." Guarnere caressed Leigh's breasts, giving special attention to her hard nipples, alternating between licking and sucking them. Leigh whispered into his ear,
"Your baby needs a good, hard fucking." Bill slightly groaned, hearing her reply. He helped her stand and then he got up to stand beside her.
"Ya know what that does to me, hearin' you say that. How 'bout you bend over an' hold on to that chair." Leigh quickly followed his advice. She was extremely wet and ready.
Bill stood behind her.
"Seein' your sweet ass in the moonlight is drivin' me crazy. You oughta be a nudist, at least around here. I don't wanna share my sexy angel wit' anybody else."
"I don't want anybody else to see me. I'm all yours, Honey." Bill unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them and his boxer shorts low enough so he could make love to her.
Guarnere guided himself into Leigh, groaning at the feel of her wet sex engulfing him.
"I love how you're always ready for me. Feels so damn good!"
Then, he gripped her hips and began thrusting slowly into her. Leigh backed up against him, urging him to go deeper and faster. She could help but moan as he filled her. This was her favorite position for love making.
Guarnere eagerly picked up the pace. He wanted to go slower and make it last longer, but speeding up felt so incredibly good. He had no desire to slow down.
Both Bill and Leigh got more vocal with their sounds of pleasure. Leigh shuddered as a small orgasm passed. Soon, a bigger orgasm built. In a few minutes, she cried out as it overtook her. Guarnere felt her contracting around his cock. His thrusting got deeper and slightly off rhythm. He had an explosive orgasm, calling out,
"Fuck, yes!" He withdrew from Leigh and sat in the empty chair, pulling her onto his lap. Bill held her close, kissing her.
"You're so damn good."
"Thanks, Honey. I have a very good teacher. You're amazing."
"Do ya think ya might go around naked out here again before we go home? I like makin' love outdoors." Leigh grinned,
"Oh, definitely! As long as I get results like this, I'd gladly strip in this area. How about trying this during the day?"
"I like the way you think, Baby. How 'bout we get cleaned up an' go to bed? We need to get that room kinda broken in later, if ya know what I mean."
"Great minds think alike, Honey. I'm all for it." Bill put on his boxer shorts and trousers. He picked up his shirt and Leigh's lingerie. She took the blanket inside. They both took a bath, not together since the bathtub wasn't big enough and went to bed. Leigh kept her promise and they had some erotic adventures outdoors in the sunlight.
On their way home to South Philadelphia, Bill chuckled,
"It's a good thing I ain't in the Army now. One o' the guys, probably Luz, would see me in the shower an' say somethin' about having' a sun tan on my ass." Leigh laughed,
"I'd have to explain my all over sun tan. No regrets, though. We need to go to the shore again before it gets too cold for outdoor activities."
"Baby, that all over tan is super sexy. Thanks for the sterlin' silver lighter. That's all I'm usin' from now on."
"You welcome, Bill. Thanks for this lovely necklace. These moonstones will also remind me of making love outdoors. Thanks for buying and renovating the house."
"I'm glad ya like it, Sweetheart. If I kept the house long enough, ya might be a nudist like the older lady who used to live there."
"Who would want to see an old, naked lady?"
"When I get old, I still wanna see you naked." They both laughed and then continued talking on the way home.
"How 'bout we get started on makin' a baby when we get home?"
"I like the sound of that idea, Bill. I'm ready to start our family." Both Bill and Leigh hoped that a baby would soon be on the way.
"Viva Las Vegas! Is Stardom in the Cards for Leigh?" "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: Bill Guarnere enjoyed trips to Las Vegas where he had fun in the casinos. This information came from podcasts and interviews with his granddaughter.*
In February, 1946, Leigh got a call at the CBS radio station from Maxine Andrews. She was surprised when Maxine asked her to join her and the other Andrews Sisters for a few shows in the up and coming gambling mecca of Las Vegas.
Maxine explained that the sisters were performing at the Flamingo casino and resort on the same bill as Louis Prima. She told Leigh that all expenses would be paid by the manager of the popular trio.
Leigh happily accepted the offer of a two week vacation, providing that her and Bill's bosses would agree to their taking time off from work.
Since Bill had never taken his vacation time from his government job, he was cleared to go. Leigh's boss gave his approval quickly, knowing that the CBS affiliate would get publicity.
After leaving work one afternoon, Leigh decided to do a little shopping for the Las Vegas trip. She bought a light gray , long sleeved wiggle dress with pleats at the bottom of the back of the garment. It fastened in the back with a row of small scarlet buttons. The buttons began after a sharp 'v' in the upper back of the dress.
Then, she purchased some scarlet pumps and some scarlet gloves to accent her dress. Bill had bought a brooch for her that looked like a red rose on a slender gold stem and Leigh planned to wear it on the dress.
Leigh found an excellent bargain in the same downtown Philadelphia department store where Bill bought the red wiggle dress and the red satin bra, panty and garter belt set for their first Christmas as a married couple.
She bought a coat in the same shade of scarlet as the buttons on her dress. It had faux black and gray fur trim on the cuffs, the top and the bottom of the coat. It had been reduced to 50% off the ticket price and Leigh was delighted to pay $20 for the well made garment.
Later that day, after the supper dishes were washed, Leigh told Bill,
"Honey, I bought a dress and some new items for our trip. Will you let me know if you like them? I'll model them for you." Guarnere agreed to give his opinion on the dress and whatever else she bought.
Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took the dress out of the bag from the department store. Then, she took off her day dress and put on the new dress and the new red pumps.
It was a little difficult for Leigh to button the dress, but she was able to get it fastened. She walked downstairs.
"Here's what it looks like from the front." Leigh then turned around to let Bill see the back of the dress.
"That dress is really doin' somethin' to me, Baby. It's almost as sexy as the black lace set ya bought in Paris" He walked over to stand behind Leigh and he embraced her, pulling her close to him as he kissed her neck.
Leigh could feel that Bill was becoming aroused and she moved her behind against him, prompting a faint groan from Guarnere. He nibbled her right earlobe, whispering,
"Baby, ya know what that does to me. You're beautiful all over an' that dress shows your sweet, sexy ass off to perfection. Do ya have a coat to go wit' this dress? I can't go through the train station like this."
She moved forward slightly, giving herself enough room to reach back and gently stroke Bill's hard cock through his trousers.
"You would certainly attract attention this way. Let me go upstairs and get the coat I bought and see if that helps. I bought this on sale with money from my check. Honey, I don't want you to think I'm spending your money foolishly."
"You don't have to explain, Baby. I know you wouldn't do anythin' like that. You're always very careful wit' money. If you want somethin' or if ya really need it, like a new coat, let me know. I'd like to spoil ya once in awhile."
"You're so sweet and understanding. Stay nice and hard for me until I get back."
"All I have to do is think o' you in that dress, Baby. I'll be ready for ya." Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took her coat and her red gloves out of the bag from the department store and put on both items.
Before leaving the bedroom, Leigh quickly unfastened her garter belt, removed her panties and fastened the garter belt again. She placed her panties in the hamper.
Next, she went into the bathroom, removed her red gloves, inserted her diaphragm, washed her hands and put the gloves on. Leigh walked downstairs to find Bill in the same spot, patiently waiting for her.
She turned in a small circle, modeling the coat and gloves.
"You look like a movie star in that coat an' those gloves. Baby, you're a beautiful, classy lookin' woman. You're gonna turn some heads in that outfit."
"Thanks, Honey. The only head I want to turn is yours. Does the coat help your...condition?"
"It'll at least let me walk through the train station wit'out drawin' attention to myself. You really look like a million bucks in that outfit." Leigh carefully took off the coat and gloves, placing both items on the coffee table.
"I have a little surprise for you. If you're still in the mood, do you want to find out what it is? You'll have to unbutton those buttons in the back to see it." She winked at him.
Guarnere had a slightly wicked grin as he replied,
"I'm always in the mood where you're concerned, ya little fireball. If you turn around, I can get to work on those buttons." Bill kissed Leigh's neck again before he started to unbutton the top three buttons on the dress.
He saw that she was still wearing her bra, so he unbuttoned a few more buttons. Leigh ground her bottom against his hard cock, prompting a slightly louder groan from him.
Bill unbuttoned a few more of the scarlet buttons to reveal the top of her garter belt. He grinned, knowing that Leigh probably wasn't wearing panties. Then, he unfastened two more buttons and slid the dress down slowly to reveal her bare ass beneath the garter belt.
He slid the dress down her legs, asking her to step out of it. Leigh complied and Bill gathered up the dress, carefully folding it and placing it on the coffee table.
Guarnere cupped her ass in his hands. He nibbled her ear and whispered,
"You look so goddamned hot, Baby. I wish you'd go wit' out panties all the time. Let's take this upstairs. We don't want anybody payin' a surprise visit, catchin' us gettin' busy." He picked Leigh up and carried her to their bedroom.
He placed her on the bed and quickly disrobed. Leigh removed the bedspread, the top sheet and the pillows. Bill removed her bra and began gently sucking on her nipples.
Leigh ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his lips. A few minutes later, she was on the verge of coming. Bill abandoned her breasts for a moment as he traced kisses down her torso, pausing to look at her.
"You wanna watch me, don't ya."
"Oh, yes, Honey. It makes everything more intense when I watch you licking and loving my...pussy."
Bill groaned softly,
"Goddamn! I love it when ya say that. Let me show ya how much I love it." He maintained eye contact with her as he gently sucked her clit between his lips. He alternated licking and sucking until her hips rose involuntarily.
"Oh God, Baby that's so good!"
He continued to look into her eyes as he worked two fingers into her warm interior.
"You're soakin' wet. That's my sweet angel." He broke eye contact for a moment to devote his attention once again to her clit. Leigh watched him and that quickly sent her over the edge. She called out his name as a glorious climax swept over her.
Bill never stopped, he helped Leigh ride out her orgasm. He was proud and happy to know how much he pleased her. Once she recovered, Leigh was trying to pull him up, wanting to continue their lovemaking.
"My baby's ready, ain't no doubt about it. Tell me what ya want, Sweetheart." He stayed still despite his need to get relief for his nearly aching cock.
Leigh arched her back, trying to get him inside her. She knew what Bill was doing and it further inflamed her desire.
"I want you to fuck me!"
"Oh, hell, yes!" He moved up as Leigh slightly closed her legs, making it easier for him to enter her. Bill easily slid his cock into her.
He thrust into her, saying,
I'm fuckin' the hottest...(he thrust into her again) the most beautiful...(he thrust into Leigh again) an' the sexiest woman in town." Leigh tried a technique that Julia told her about. She tightened her grip on him with her vagina, being sure to meet his every stroke.
Bill quickly picked up the pace as Leigh grasped his ass, pulling him into her. They kissed passionately until Leigh broke the kiss, calling his name.
He loved to hear her saying his name.
"You're so good at fuckin'! Bill circled his hips and they continued, going at a frantic pace. Leigh felt another orgasm building. When she contracted around Bill's cock as she came, his thrusting lost rhythm and he groaned as he came.
In the afterglow, Leigh lay in his arms. Guarnere ran his fingers through her hair.
"Baby, I don't know what ya were doin' inside, but it was hotter than the fires of hell."
"A woman I know told me how to do that. She said it drives her husband crazy."
"I'd like to thank her, 'cause I loved it. Not that I haven't enjoyed the way ya make love, you're perfect, Sweetheart." Leigh giggled.
"You can call and tell her any time. You already have her telephone number." Bill stopped running his fingers through Leigh's hair.
"Baby, please tell me it wasn't Ma who told ya how to do that." (He pronounced the word as 'dat') Bill was greatly relieved when Leigh assured him,
"It wasn't Mama, Honey."
"I don't have that many phone numbers for people except Maria an' Julia."
"It wasn't Maria."
"Holy God! It's Julia. Oh, hell, that's more than I ever wanted to know about her an' Sal. I'm glad she told ya, but, Jesus! Knowin' what my sister does in the bedroom, I could do wit'out that part." Leigh couldn't suppress her urge to laugh.
"Does this mean that you never want me to do this again?" Guarnere quickly answered,
"Oh, hell, no! I loved it. I'll just enjoy it an' try to not think about how ya learned it."
Bill and Leigh departed Philadelphia on a cold, snowy day for Las Vegas. The trip would take several days on the train. Leigh wore the new gray dress, the scarlet shoes, scarlet gloves and her new coat.
She and Bill were treated to a private sleeper room on the train, courtesy of the Andrews Sisters' manager. The room had a bed that could also serve as seats, should they decide to stay in the room.
They enjoyed the accommodations and discovered the experience of making love while traveling at about 60 miles per hour on the new diesel engine train.
Bill and Leigh enjoyed their suite at The Flamingo hotel and casino. This trip began their love of casinos and Las Vegas. While the temperature was cool, it was warmer than the weather in Philadelphia.
Leigh met with the woman in charge of the Andrews Sisters' costumes. She eagerly accepted the sisters' generous offer of a custom made dress for the show. The dress would be a sleeveless wiggle style dress made of red silk. Patty, Maxine and Laverne now wore cocktail type dresses for their concerts.
The night of the show, Bill had a corsage of a white rose edged in a thin gold colored stripe and tied with a thin gold metallic bow sent to Leigh by a courier.
Midway through the show, Leigh did a solo as the sisters took a break. She told the audience,
"My next song, " Ooh, Papa, Do," is dedicated to my husband, Bill Guarnere. Honey, would you please stand up?" A stage hand directed a small spotlight from the stage to illuminate the area where Guarnere was standing.He was wearing a white dress shirt, black trousers and black shoes. Bill smiled as the audience applauded.
She walked to a concert sized grand piano, sat down and started to play the introduction to the uptempo song. The band joined in and Leigh started to sing.
"I've got a man who loves me, I swear by the stars above. And every night, we dim the lights, he tells me of his love. When he kisses my cheek, all I can speak is 'Ooh, Papa do, Papa do.
He lets me know he needs me. This I do declare. This much I know, I love him so, I'll take him anywhere. When he says goodbye, all I can cry is 'Ooh, Papa, do, Papa do.'
"Ooh, Papa do, do the things you do. It sets my soul on fire. Ooh, Papa, do, I really go for you. You're my heart's desire.
When time comes for him to leave me, I stand with tears in my eyes. This much I know, I love him so, he's the man I idolize. And when he holds me near, all you can hear is, 'Ooh, Papa, do. Papa, do. Ooh, Papa, do. Papa do. Ooh, Papa do. Papa, do."
Bill enjoyed the slightly suggestive lyrics of the song. He thought,
"My baby is outdoin' the singin' she did in Paris. She's lookin' an' soundin' super hot."
The following day, Maxine Andrews called Leigh. Louis Prima's wife, Keeley Smith, had to have an emergency appendectomy. Prima wondered if Leigh would be interested in filling in for her. This would be his last show since he was taking time off to help Keeley after she got home from the hospital.
Andrews didn't have to wait for an answer. Leigh happily accepted the offer. Bill was delighted with the news and he promptly called Augusta to tell her the good news.
Since Leigh was a fan of Prima's music, she was familiar with the way he and his wife performed the songs on their record albums. She needed no coaching on how to perform. Keeley was known for being the 'straight man' to Louis' humorous interpretations of some of the songs.
Of course, Prima and Leigh rehearsed, but she effortlessly stepped into the new style of performing and singing. Lacey Davis and one of her friends decided to attend the Prima show.
Both women moved to Las Vegas in hopes of finding work as singers or chorus girls. Davis had yet another job as a receptionist. Her friend was still looking for work and they shared a small apartment on the outskirts of town.
Lacey wore a wiggle dress in emerald green with matching shoes. Davis's green eyes and red hair was accentuated by the color of her dress and shoes. Her roommate Angie Shane, a tall blonde, wore a cocktail dress made of blue taffeta. She wore matching blue shoes.
Before the show began, a man in a tuxedo walked onstage to tell the audience,
"Keeley Smith is in the hospital. She had to have her appendix removed. Fortunately, an extremely talented woman performing with the Andrews Sisters here at The Flamingo will fill in for her.
Leigh Guarnere, formerly known as The Songbird of the 506th, will appear with Louis Prima." Angie noticed the sour expression on Davis' face. Lacey felt her stomach clench as she heard the name of her perceived rival being announced. She cursed under her breath.
Then, she briefly filled Angie in on the backstory of how Leigh got everything Davis ever wanted, from their days as USO performers to the present time. Shane reserved judgment of Leigh since she was also a fan of her singing after she heard the Andrews Sisters' Paris concert on the radio.
Leigh had the audience alternately applauding and laughing throughout the show. Bill was wearing the charcoal gray suit tailor made by his father for his Christmas present from Leigh, a white dress shirt and black shoes. He had a beaming smile as he proudly watched her perform.
In the middle of the show, Prima told the audience that Leigh was "married to a paisano from South Philly who fought in the 101st Airborne. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for this paratrooper who served our country." A spotlight shone on Guarnere as the audience applauded.
Lacey,a Rita Hayworth lookalike, told her friend,
"I will never understand what the hell a good looking guy like that sees in her." Angie correctly thought that she was jealous, bitter and petty, especially after she told her,
"He lost most of his right leg in the war. Crippled men do nothing for me, they're disgusting, but I'd overlook the lost leg for a roll in the hay with him." At the end of the show,after Leigh had a standing ovation with two encores, she started to walk to her dressing room. Louis Prima approached her.
"Kid, there's someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting in my dressing room. Looks like you just made a big break in show business." Leigh thanked Prima, who walked with her to his dressing room. After she entered the room, Louis went to a pay phone to call the hospital to find out how his wife was faring after surgery.
A tall, thin man with gray hair, wearing a tuxedo, shook hands with Leigh, telling her,
"Mrs. Guarnere, my name is Martin Beckley. I'm a talent scout for Decca Records. Please, have a seat. I need to discuss some business with you that could change your life in a big way.
After hearing you with the Andrews Sisters in Paris, I wanted to sign you to the Decca label as a recording artist. Then, the Andrews Sisters told me about your husband being seriously injured in the war and I wanted to wait to offer you this opportunity until he was well again.
Louis Prima, the Andrews Sisters and I all agree that you have the talent to become a major singing star. I realize that this is very sudden, but I need you to think about signing a contract with Decca to be our next big recording star. You can think about this for a few days and we can meet here."
Leigh was stunned for a moment by the news. This was the realization of a dream she had for many years. She saw no sense in making Beckley wait for an answer, so she told him,
"Mr. Beckley, I appreciate this offer and I'm both honored and flattered by the fact that you and four professional vocalists think that I have the potential to become a star." He smiled, waiting for Leigh to continue speaking. A look of bewilderment replaced the smile on his face as she added,
"My husband and I are planning on starting a family. There's no way I could be a devoted and nurturing mother if I toured the country doing concerts and promoting my records.
Sir, my husband fully supports any decision I make regarding a singing career. It would be highly unfair to make him the sole parent of our child or children.
I love my husband very much and I intend to be a devoted wife, too. It might not make sense to you, and I know you don't make an offer like this without great consideration, but I'm very content to keep my life as it is right now. Thank you, Sir, but I need to turn down this offer. Knowing I'm good enough to be a star is completely satisfying."
Beckley could tell that Leigh was serious about refusing the recording contract.
"I respect your decision, Mrs. Guarnere. I can't help but feel that you're throwing away the opportunity to live a financially comfortable life. If you ever change your mind, please call the telephone number on this card." He paused to get one of his business cards from an inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket, handing it to her. Leigh thanked him for the card. Beckley added,
"If I'm not available, please let one of the Andrews Sisters know if you change your mind. Their manager could then contact me. I would be happy to help you book shows here in Las Vegas whenever you would like to perform. A voice like yours will never go out of style, no matter what type of music is popular. " He shook hands with her.
"I appreciate your offer to book me for concerts here in Las Vegas. That sounds like something I'd enjoy doing." Before she left to go to her dressing room, Beckley told her,
"If that's the case, I will keep in contact with the Andrews Sisters and Louis Prima. I'm certain that they would enjoy sharing a stage with you again ." Leigh then exited the room and walked down the hall to her dressing room.
Bill was sitting on a chair in her dressing room, patiently waiting. He noticed a strange expression on her face as she entered the room. By his estimation, Leigh appeared to be stunned.
"Baby, is everythin' OK? What goin' on?" She hugged him and pulled a chair close to where he was sitting and sat down.
"Bill, Louis Prima told me that someone was waiting to meet me in his dressing room. A producer from Decca Records, Mr. Beckley, was waiting for me. He's wanted me to sign a contract since the time of the Paris concert. All this time, he kept in touch with the Andrews Sisters and he wanted to wait until you were healed from your injury before he made me an offer." She paused, wondering how to phrase the rest of the news.
"Go ahead, Sweetheart, this sounds like somethin' big."
"Mr. Beckley said that he, Louis Prima and the Andrews Sisters all agree that I could be a recording star." Bill excitedly and loudly told her,
"Holy God! I knew you were gonna make it big! Baby, this is amazin' news! I gotta call Ma an' tell her ya signed a recordin' contract. My baby's gonna be a star!" Leigh took Bill's hands in hers,
"Wait a minute, Honey. Please listen to me before you call Mama. I didn't sign the contract." He looked puzzled,
"Leigh, what's goin' on? Your dream finally came true."
"That was my dream before we met. Remember when we discussed this in Paris? I haven't changed my mind. As I told Mr. Beckley, we're getting ready to start a family. I can't be a devoted mother if I'm on the road constantly doing concerts. I want to be there for the baby's first words, the first time he or she crawls, the first steps..." Bill cut in,
"Sweetheart, think about this. You're throwin' away a chance only a few singers get. You know I'm behind ya 100 percent. I'm willin' to do whatever it takes for ya."
"Honey, I know that and I appreciate your devotion. Babies need their mother, too. How can I bond with him or her if I'm not there? Chances are excellent that we would have to move, too.
I love our life in South Philadelphia. Everything we need is at home. Being a devoted wife and mother is more important to me than any recording contract. Not going to sleep and not waking up beside you would be unbearable. My mind is made up, Bill.
Mr. Beckley told me that I could do concerts here anytime and I like that idea." Bill realized that he couldn't change her mind. He put his arms around Leigh, pulling her close to him, giving her a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, he tenderly cupped Leigh's face in his hands.
"Baby, you mean the world an' everythin' to me. Knowin' you gave up bein' a star to be a devoted wife to me an' a devoted ma to our kids makes me love ya to the moon an' back. How 'bout we start a family after our first anniversary?"
"I'm glad you understand, Bill, and you mean the world and everything to me, too. That's fine with me. I'm honored to be the future mother of your children. You're somethin' else." They kissed again and departed the room.
Midway down the hall, Leigh realized she left her purse in her dressing room. Bill needed to use the men's restroom, so they agreed to meet further down the hall.
After exiting the men's room, he waited for Leigh to return. Lacey Davis lied to a security guard about being a friend of Leigh's since their time as USO singers to gain access to the dressing room area behind the stage. She hoped to run into Bill. Lacey's eyes brightened and she smiled as she saw him standing in the hallway. He was surprised by her saying,
"Hello, Handsome. Remember me?" Bill slightly frowned.
"I remember ya."
"How about we slip off and have a drink together. We can get caught up on everything that's happened since the last time I saw you."
"No thanks. I'm waitin' for my wife. She forgot her purse." Lacey moved closer to him,
"Oh, come on, one little drink with an old friend won't hurt anything."
"No offense, but you ain't exactly what I'd call a friend." Lacey noticed Leigh coming out of her dressing room. She waited until Leigh was close enough to see her, then she put her arms around Bill as she gave him a passionate kiss.
Guarnere was angered by her behavior. He pushed Lacey away from him, taking care not to hurt her. He glared at her as he said,
"What the hell do ya think you're doin'? Like I told ya before,I love Leigh an' I'm a happily married man." Leigh heard Bill's replies and she told Davis,
"You're really pathetic, Lacey, throwing yourself at a man who obviously isn't interested in you." Davis sneered,
"Little Miss Perfect, God's gift to showbiz.Your hubby is too much of a gentleman to do anything in your presence. I bet I could change his mind if you weren't with him." Bill angrily asked,
"Who the hell do you think you are? You don't know me! I don't want anybody else, Leigh has my heart for eternity." Leigh added,
"As you can plainly see, my husband can think for himself. If you ever touch him again, you'll be wearing one of my stiletto heels up your ass." Bill couldn't help but grin when he heard her reply to Lacey. Davis ignored Leigh as she concentrated on another way to manipulate Guarnere. She thought,
"He's fiery and passionate. I like that." She couldn't understand why Bill wasn't receptive to her. Other men were, for the most part, easy to convince and seduce. Davis honed in on what she thought would appeal to Guarnere.
"You need an experienced woman who knows how to please a man. I can do things your little wifey doesn't know how to do. No doubt you were goody two shoes' first lover." Bill turned away from her, putting his arm around Leigh's shoulders. Before walking away, he gave Davis a verbal parting shot.
"My baby is perfect at makin' love. Nobody could please me more than Leigh. The Army had trainin' movies about broads like you. They said avoid 'em 'cause those broads had so many men, a guy could get the clap or syphillis." Leigh laughed at Bill's words and the stunned expression on Lacey's face. She decided to add a parting comment,
"Lacey, Bill is absolutely dynamic and highly skilled in bed. Of course, you'll never have that experience with him." Davis's face turned red with anger and she stalked away from the Guarneres. Bill burst into loud laughter. He told Leigh,
"That's tellin' her, Baby. Thanks for complimentin' me."
"You did an excellent job telling her off, too, Bill. Thanks for your rave review about me, too."
She and Bill laughed as they headed for their suite in the hotel. Two days later, they started their trip home.
While Bill and Leigh were on the train to Philadelphia, they were unaware of an article in the top entertainment publication, Variety. Beckley immediately contacted a reporter and told him about a woman who turned down a chance to be a recording star in favor of being a devoted wife and mother.
Lacey Davis spotted the story as she read the publication. She angrily threw it in the trash, thinking to herself,
"What's wrong with that stupid bitch? She threw away the chance of a lifetime! I would literally kill to have a recording contract. It makes me sick that a big time guy like Beckley thinks she's star material. If I could get an audition with Louis Prima, he would see that I'm just as good as she is."
Lacey forced herself to snap out of her musing about Leigh as she boarded a city transit bus to get to her audition.
The elder Guarneres and the Spencers were happily surprised to learn about the offer of a recording contract to Leigh. They weren't surprised at her decision and both couples were looking forward to becoming grandparents.
A Vignette from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: This is a sneak preview of a future chapter. *
When Billy entered parochial school, he came home from kindergarten and excitedly told Leigh,
"Ma, Sister Mary Margaret wants me to be one of the three Wise Guys in the Christmas program!" Leigh hugged him,
"That's wonderful, Billy!" She controlled her urge to laugh, not wanting to hurt Billy's feelings. When he went upstairs to play, she called Augusta Guarnere, telling her Billy's comment. Both women had a good laugh. When Bill got home, Billy gave him the good news. Guarnere chuckled,
"I ain't laughin' at ya, Billy. You said somethin' cute." Bill and Leigh thought that their son went upstairs to play and was out of ear shot.
"Baby, just imagine him sayin' his lines like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson, the best wise guys in the movies." He launched into an impersonation of the actors, making Leigh giggle.
The night of the Christmas program arrived. Most of the Guarnere family and the Spencers were in the audience. Billy had two lines,
"We're the Three Wise Men. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The time came for Billy to deliver his dialogue and he proudly said, in a voice like Edward G. Robinson, bringing down the house,
"We're the Three Wise Guys. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The audience laughed and applauded. All Leigh and Bill could do was laugh. After the show, they apologized to the teaching nun and they convinced Billy to apologize, too. She accepted their apologies. Both sets of grandparents were still proud of him. Aunt Julia hugged Billy,
"Kiddo, that's the best Christmas show I ever saw."
A few days after the program, Leigh was cooking supper. Angelina was sitting in her high chair in the kitchen. The song, "Hold Tight" performed by the Andrews Sisters was playing on the radio. Leigh was singing. When she got to the verse,
"I'm as happy as can be when the seafood comes to me. Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da," Angelina spoke the lyrics,
"Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da."
After the song ended, Leigh decided to sing the lyrics again to see if she would repeat them. A big smile appeared on her face as Angelina spoke the lyrics again. When Bill got home from work, Leigh told him,
"I hope Angelina will do this. She learned something new today." Guarnere had a radiant smile as he heard his daughter repeating the lyrics to the song.
"Won't be long until this little angel is singin' like her ma." He hugged Angelina and kissed her cheek.
Angelina wouldn't always perform on demand and she showed a very determined and stubborn nature on occasion. Both Cal and Louise told Bill and Leigh,
"We've seen this behavior before. This little girl acts just like her mother when she was her age. The stubborn streak may remain." Guarnere told his in-laws,
"I can live wit' that. I love her ma an' that stubborn streak don't bother me. If Angelina wants to sing, that's OK an' if she doesn't, that's OK, too. I love my life an' I wouldn't change a thing."
Angelina got a round of applause at her Nonno and Nonna Guarnere's house when she repeated the "Yadda da. yadda da, yadda da" lyrics during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Leigh and her sisters-in-law were helping Augusta bring in various platters of food. Billy looked at Leigh. He innocently thought that he was giving her a compliment when he said,
"Pop likes that dress. He says it makes your ass look nice." Everyone burst out laughing. Leigh told her son that she knew he meant well, but his comment was inappropriate. She hugged and kissed him, saying,
"You're not in trouble, Billy. I was hoping that you would be like your pop. You're a smaller version of him." Bill commented,
"There's never a dull moment wit' my family, an' I love it!"
Training was over for the day on a Friday in May, 1943. The men of Easy Company were looking forward to having a much needed break the following day.
Since the men knew in advance about their day off, Leigh planned a picnic for herself and Bill. She made sandwiches from homemade Italian sausage and homemade bread. She found some onions and garlic in the farmers' market in the village that would be cooked with the sausage.
Bill bought a good, relatively inexpensive bottle of red wine from Andrew Herriott, the owner and bartender of The Blue Boar. Leigh improvised a primitive type of antipasto from vegetables and some ham that was sold in the farmers' market. She also had a few apples and some freshly baked pizzelles.
One month before the picnic, American servicemen stationed in the Aldebourne area, the girls they dated and a few residents of the village became concerned about a peeping tom.
A soldier from Dog Company and his date thought that someone was spying on them. One week later, the same thing happened to a soldier from Charlie Company and his date. Both couples had been enjoying each other's company in a secluded pasture on a country lane.
On both occasions, when the men looked around the pasture, there was no sign of a peeping tom. The young women refused to go out with the soldiers again until the peeping tom was apprehended. The servicemen who had to wait until the suspect was nabbed by the village constable were extremely eager for this person to be caught.
Two local sisters, the Taylors, sold their parents' farm after the deaths of their mother and father. They moved into a stone cottage not far from Leigh's and Melissa's house in the village. Both women were in their early 30s and were attractive and shapely with brown hair and blue eyes.
One evening, as the eldest sister, Jean, was locking the front door, getting ready to go to bed, her younger sister, Ava, was in her downstairs bedroom. Ava preferred to sleep with the window open for fresh air. She kept the blind pulled halfway down the window for privacy.
Standing with her back to the window, Ava removed her clothing and put on a nightgown. She was planning to put her clothes into a hamper that was close to her bed when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her window.
Ava thought that someone was walking home from one of the pubs and thought nothing of the incident. She placed the clothes in the hamper and was on her way to turning off the light in her room when she froze in her tracks.
The sound of heavy breathing was unmistakable and it seemed to be outside her window. Ava went to a closet and got out her father's shotgun, sticking the barrel out of the open window. She startled Jean by shouting,
"Get away from here, you pervert or I'll shoot your bollocks (balls) off!" The sound of heavy footsteps walking away relieved Ava. Jean came into her room, asking,
"Did you see who it was? Are you OK?" Jean learned that Ava didn't see the heavy breather and that she was unharmed.She told her younger sister,
"Good job you have Father's gun and you know how to use it. I don't think we need to worry about being bothered again. Even if this peeping tom isn't in his right mind, he isn't mad (crazy) enough to risk losing his bollocks." Jean went to her bedroom and both women were soon asleep.
Early the next evening when Bill arrived for supper, Jean introduced herself and said that she was coming to speak to Leigh. Guarnere opened the door for her, telling Leigh,
"Sweetheart, Miss Taylor, the lady from next door want to talk wit'ya." Leigh welcomed Jean into the house and asked her to have a seat in the living room. She offered her visitor a cup of tea and Jean accepted it. After Leigh made the tea and brought in a tray with cups, milk, the tea pot, and napkins, she served her guest, herself and Bill some tea. She told her neighbor,
"I'm sorry that I don't have lemon slices and sugar. Lemons are hard to find and sugar rationing is taking its toll." Taylor smiled, commenting,
"It's fine. We've the same situation at our house and we're all doing our bit for the war effort." She took her tea with a small amount of milk. Guarnere and Spencer preferred their tea without milk.
Jean told Bill and Leigh about her sister's experience with the peeping tom and asked the couple if they had heard or seen anything the previous evening.
Both Guarnere and Spencer said that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Leigh told Jean,
"We were listening to the radio. Sorry, the wireless, and the blinds were down, so we didn't see anything." Then, Jean laughed, telling them what her sister said to the stranger outside her window. Leigh laughed and Bill asked,
"No disrespect intended, but what are ya callin' 'bollocks'" Jean slightly blushed,
"It's male anatomy, two, erm...items." Bill laughed as he realized what Jean meant.
"I'm not laughin' at ya, Miss Taylor, I never heard 'em called that name before. You ladies ain't got nothin' to worry about. A man doesn't wanna lose important parts like that."
"That's what I told my sister."
"I'll keep an eye on your place. If you ladies ever need help, just call Leigh an' I'll be glad to help ya." Spencer wrote down the telephone number and handed it to Jean. She thanked Bill and Leigh, then left while she could still have enough light to feel safe walking outside. Guarnere offered to walk her home if she was scared, but Jean assured him that she was fine.
The following day, news of the heavy breathing outside the neighbor's window made its way through the village. Colonel Sink decided to send a few servicemen to help patrol the village with the constable. The soldiers who were denied recreation with their girlfriends until the peeping tom was caught eagerly volunteered.
One month later, the colonel decided to discontinue the servicemen's patrolling of the village. The constable and Sink thought that the peeping tom was discouraged from his activities due to the inclusion of soldiers who were being trained to fight in the war.
The following weekend, one soldier and his girlfriend were sitting under a tree near a rural property lined by a fence and some trees. While the couple began to remove a few items of each other's clothing, the young woman heard someone walking near the fence line that was obscured by trees.
She looked up and was startled to see a shock of red hair. Then, she noticed brown eyes gazing back at her. She screamed and her boyfriend immediately put on his uniform shirt. He told her,
"Stay here, I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson he won't forget." As the young woman buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt, the soldier walked toward the fence, loudly saying,
"Clear out of here, buddy, or you're asking for trouble." He heard the sound of someone walking away from the fence line. By the time the soldier climbed over the fence, there was no sign of the peeping tom, only cattle standing in the field.
His girlfriend was in no mood to return to their previous activities and she insisted upon going home. As they walked to the village she said,
"He must have been very short because his eyes looked to be at the level of a child." Her boyfriend replied,
"He was probably bending over to peer through the leaves." Word soon spread throughout the area that the mysterious "peeper," the name given by the residents of the village, was a "ginger" (red hair), having unkempt, long hair and brown eyes.
On the day of the picnic, Leigh packed the food into a large basket along with cloth napkins, two plates, two wine glasses and a medium sized blanket. She wore a red day dress, along with the usual undergarments, stockings and a pair of low heeled black pumps commonly called 'flats.'
Spencer brushed her hair, touched up her make up and reapplied her red lipstick. Bill soon arrived with the bottle of red wine. He insisted on carrying the large picnic basket. They left the cottage and held hands as they walked on a road leading from the village to a secluded country lane.
Neither Bill nor Leigh had been in this area before. She told him that the lane reminded her of home.
"If this is where ya wanna have the picnic, Sweetheart, it's fine wit' me. Let's look for a nice, quiet spot in case we wanna get up to somethin' later."
"In case we want to get up to somethin'? Are you falling out of love with me already, Sergeant Guarnere?" Bill noticed the impish twinkle in her eyes and he grinned.
"Ain't no danger o' that happenin', Baby. You got my heart for eternity. I love seein' ya in red. You look good enough to eat."
"Is that a promise? " she slightly blushed before adding, "I mean the part about 'eating.'" Guarnere had a wicked grin as he said,
"Oh, I guarantee it. You ain't the only one enjoyin' it. You taste so damn good!"
"Bill, not so loud, a farmer might be working close by."
"I'm tellin' the truth. 'course I don't wanna encourage somebody to watch us. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to keep it down so everybody don't know our business."
"Thanks, Honey. You're very good at that...you know what I mean."
"You bet I know!" She laughed,
"Smart ass." They walked past a small house with a gate surrounding it. After passing the house, they went around a curve in the lane and found an ideal spot for the picnic and privacy.
An isolated pasture with three large trees was a short walk from the road. The pasture was lined on three sides of its perimeter by trees instead of fences.
Someone must have owned the pasture because the grass wasn't tall and choked with weeds. Bill looked around to see if there was a farm house tucked away within sight of the pasture.
He didn't see a house close by and he decided that this area had enough privacy for a picnic and some erotic activity. Bill and Leigh walked toward the trees in the center of the pasture.
They decided to sit under a large oak tree that was flanked by two other oak trees. A gentle breeze was blowing and they sat in the shade after they spread the blanket on the ground.
Leigh unpacked the picnic basket, setting out the food, plates, silverware, napkins and two wine glasses. Bill got the bottle opener and the bottle of red wine out of the basket. He opened the wine bottle and poured some wine in each glass.
Then he grinned as he noticed the sandwiches.
"Homemade bread an' homemade Italian sausage. It smells great! You're one hell of a good cook." He stopped himself from saying what he thought, "You'll be a perfect wife, Sweetheart" Bill didn't think it was the right time to propose to Leigh. Although he was fairly sure that she would agree to marry him, he thought it best to wait and find out how she really felt about marriage.
Leigh got out a dish with a small lid and opened it,
"I made a kind of makeshift antipasto from your mom's recipe. I hope it turned out OK."
Guarnere got a fork and put some of the antipasto on his plate. He sampled it.
"This reminds me o' Ma's cookin'. You done a good job wit' this, Baby." Leigh was pleased that he liked the side dish. They enjoyed the sandwiches and they casually talked while they ate their lunch.
Leigh got out a small box and opened it.
"How about a few pizzelles, Honey? I feel guilty about lying to our neighbor about no sugar due to rationing, but I wanted you to have some pizzelles. If you don't feel like having cookies I brought apples, too." Bill got two cookies out of the box,
"Well, ya did ration it. Don't worry about it, Sweetheart. I know ya don't go around lyin' about everythin'. Thanks for makin' the cookies for me. You're spoilin' me, Sweetheart. Ya shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."
"It was no trouble at all. I like to make your favorite dishes." She laughed at Bill sneaking another cookie out of the box.
"Eat as much as you want. I won't slap your hand if you want another cookie."
"I gotta keep my cookie swipin' in good shape for when we get back home. It's kind of a joke wit' me an' Ma. When I was a kid, she wanted to make sure everybody got equal amounts o' food.
Pizzelles have always been my favorite. I'd eat two of 'em real fast. When Ma wasn't lookin', I'd swipe a few more. One time, when I was real little, Maria an' Teresa watched me me to keep me from gettin' into the cookies.
I started cryin' 'cause I wanted another cookie. They felt sorry for me, an' they said,
'Oh, the poor baby! He must be hungry.' Then they each gave me half a pizzelle. I made out like a bandit an' I showed those dirty (he pronounced the word as 'doity') rats. I was smart, like a fox." Leigh giggled at the story.
"How many times did that work for you?"
"Just a couple o'times. Ma got a real kick out o'it, so I didn't get in trouble." He noticed that her glass was empty.
"Would ya like a little more o' the wine?"
"Yes, just a little bit. It's really good."
"The guy at The Blue Boar said this was a nice red wine. It ain't bad. I think I'll have a little more, too." Guarnere poured the wine. He leaned back against the tree. Leigh moved back to sit with him and Bill put his arm around her shoulders.
They sipped the wine and relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful pasture. When they finished the wine, Bill decided to recline on the blanket. He rested his head on Leigh's lap.
She stroked his hair and had her arms around him. Guarnere reached up and gently pulled her close for a kiss. The kiss quickly deepened and he sucked the tip of her tongue into his mouth.
Bill reluctantly broke off the kiss,
"Stretch out beside me, Baby. It'll be easier than bendin' down to kiss me. He moved aside and Leigh lay beside him. Guarnere put his arms around her and the kissing resumed.
They enjoyed the slow, sensual kisses. Leigh sighed into Bill's mouth as his tongue explored her mouth.
Guarnere moved his hands down to Spencer's hips, pulling her as close to him as possible. He paused to kiss her eyelids, then he gently nipped at her ear before kissing her neck.
Bill loved the little gasp from Leigh when his lips touched the soft skin on her neck. He unbuttoned the top button of her day dress, kissing every inch of exposed skin as he unbuttoned the next button on her dress.
Leigh was caressing Bill's back, loving the feeling of his lips on her skin.
"If you keep this up, I'll be tempted to strip off everything and ask you to make love to me. We've never done it outdoors." Guarnere found the idea extremely arousing.
"I love the way you're kinda wild. Sweetheart, I don't wanna disappoint ya, but I didn't bring anything' wit' me for protection, 'cause I wasn't sure if ya would wanna make love outdoors."
"You're not disappointing me, Bill. I'm sure we can think of something. How about I do what you promised to do for me? I enjoy it, and I need to practice so I can be good at pleasing you that way."
"Only if ya really wanna do it, Baby. I don't want ya to think ya have to do that."
"I love all of you, and you taste pretty damned good, too."
"Then, I'm all yours. Do whatever ya want wit' me. Seems like I was gettin' ready to do somethin'..." He moved down and started to slowly trail kisses up Leigh's leg, moving her dress up a little.
Bill repeated the same actions on her other leg and Leigh felt herself becoming wet. She moved her dress up above her knees.
"Looks like my angel is tellin' me to move a little faster." He chuckled before kissing his way to her thigh. Leigh opened her legs slightly to accommodate him. Bill lowered his voice for only Leigh to hear,
"I think my beautiful baby is already nice an' wet. I'm gonna enjoy takin' those panties off so I can taste you." He moved her dress up further and licked the silk fabric between her legs.
" Baby, you taste good!" Bill sucked her silk covered clit.
"Oh, my God! That feels wonderful." Guarnere continued sucking her clit. A few minutes later, Leigh came. Bill enjoyed her sounds of passion. He began to remove her panties.
Suddenly, she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps near the line of trees in front of them. Keeping her voice down, she told him,
"Somebody is on the other side of those trees." Bill turned away, to rearrange himself in his trousers to hide the sign of his arousal and swore under his breath. Leigh quickly pulled her dress down to cover herself.
"Where did ya hear the noise, Baby?" She pointed to the trees closest to them. Bill looked in the direction she was pointing, keeping his voice low as he told her,
"I don't wanna scare ya, but I see some brown eyes an' red hair. That guy almost has hair in his eyes. He must be a nut. No wonder he's watchin', no girl would go out wit' somebody lookin' that bad. I know one thing, his peepin' days are over!"
He got up and quietly approached the area where the peeping tom stood. Leigh followed behind him, not feeling afraid since Bill was with her. She was angry that the peeper spied on them and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind.
Bill used a type of hand signal that was becoming second nature to him. He had his right hand, palm down, pushing in a downward motion.
"What does that mean?"
"It means stand down, stay back. Sorry, Baby, we've been learnin' all sorts o' hand signals lately." All at once, a large tongue appeared from behind a branch. Bill replied,
"What the hell...?" Leigh started laughing,
"It's a cow!"
She moved a small branch and revealed the face of a bovine absorbed in eating a few leaves. Leigh quickly looked down, wanting to see the underside of the animal so she would know if it was a cow or a bull. Bill told her,
"I see horns on that thing. It's a bull. I may be from the city, but I know bulls are dangerous. We gotta get movin'!"
"Cows can have horns, too. I looked at its undercarriage, so to speak, and I saw udders. You're right, bulls aren't something to mess with. If I'd seen something else, I would've kicked off these shoes so I could run faster and told you to run like hell." She looked at the cow, still munching on leaves,
"I wonder if this is the local peeper. Think about it, the cow has shaggy red hair and brown eyes. It walks with a sort of heavy step and sometimes cows sound as if they're doing some heavy breathing."
"You might be on to somethin', Sweetheart. It makes sense. No wonder nobody saw the guy when they went lookin' for him. A cow standin' in a field ain't an unusual sight around here. How can we prove what you said?" Leigh thought about a solution and carefully went through the branches to get closer to the cow.
"This always worked when one of my grandpa's cows got out of the fenced in pasture or if he was trying to get the cows into the barn to milk them." She gently swatted the cow's rump, telling it,
"Go home!" The cow turned around and started walking away. Leigh followed it,
"Don't worry about the basket and the blanket, we can get it later. Let's follow the cow home and we can talk to the farmer. Once you're in this pasture, remember to look down frequently or you could have fresh cow pie on your boots.
Cows 'go' whenever and wherever the notion strikes them, and there might be several smelly 'land mines' scattered around." Bill chuckled, thanking Leigh for her tip.
"I learned somethin' new today. Too bad we never had the chance to get Sobel in this field an' not tell him about those land mines. It would have been funny as hell to see his boots covered in cow shit." He took Leigh's hand as they walked across the pasture.
As they strolled toward the barn, Bill noticed a man who appeared to be in his late 60s walking toward the cow. The tall, slightly heavy set man was bald with a fringe of white hair and blue eyes. He wore sturdy boots, well worn brown trousers, suspenders and a light brown shirt rolled up to expose his sun tanned arms. Both Bill and Leigh heard the man say,
"So there you are, Delilah. I see you broke out of the barnyard again. I've half a mind to sell you next market day." He noticed the American soldier and presumably his girlfriend approaching him, asking,
"Young man, are you and your young lady lost?" Guarnere smiled,
"Sir, my name is Bill Guarnere, Sergeant Guarnere, an' this is my girl, Leigh Spencer. No, Sir, we ain't lost." The man introduced himself to the couple,
"My name is James Alderson and this is my farm. If you don't mind my asking, why are you following my cow?" Leigh grinned,
"This will sound as if I'm crazy. Have you heard about the local peeping tom? I have reason to believe that your cow could be the 'peeper'." Alderson looked a bit puzzled,
'Yes, I know about the peeper. Why do you think Delilah is the perpetrator?"
"Mr. Alderson, as you know, the peeper is supposed to have unruly red hair and brown eyes. Delilah wasn't in your pasture when she made her presence known during the picnic we were having.
The peeping tom is supposed to have a heavy footed walk and is also known for heavy breathing. I grew up in a rural area of Ohio and I'm familiar with cattle. I'm guessing the heavy breathing is Delilah sort of snorting, for lack of a better word.
Does she have a habit of getting out of your pasture?" Alderson considered what she told him, then he started to chuckle. The chuckle grew into loud laughter as he said,
"I never dreamed that my cow would cause havoc in the village." He laughed again, "She flummoxed the constable. He couldn't find a man and even got some of you Yank soldiers to help find the elusive peeper." He opened a gate to the barnyard and Delilah walked in, heading for some food in the barn. Before the cow got past him, Alderson patted her back and chuckled,
"You made quite a stir." Then, he answered Leigh's question, "Yes, Delilah has a bad habit of getting out of the fenced in area near the barn. She likes an occasional stroll in the village, too." Spencer asked,
"There were no peeping tom reports for a month, did you find a way to keep her at home?"
"I kept Delilah in the barn during that time. It seemed the perfect solution to her escaping, but she was unhappy. She didn't eat as much as she normally did. I rang (called) a veterinarian, thinking she was ill.
He said that she was depressed, not physically ill. I never realized that cows could feel depressed. The doctor also told me that she's getting out because she's looking for companionship. Delilah should be very happy next week, I'm getting her bred with a bull who lives down the road." Bill made Leigh blush a bit when he asked Alderson,
"In other words, Sir, are ya sayin' that she's lookin' for some action? I know I'm happier..." he noticed that Leigh was blushing and decided to leave well enough alone, adding, "Never mind, Sir, I'm talkin' too much." Alderson tried to suppress a grin as he figured out why Spencer was embarrassed.
"Yes, that's another way of saying the same thing. No harm done, Sergeant Guarnere. If you or your young lady see Delilah again, just send her home. I'm going into the village to speak with the constable and clear up this peeper situation.
Would you and your young lady like a lift into town? My vehicle isn't working at the moment, so I'm taking my horse and wagon." Both Guarnere and Spencer thanked Alderson, declining the ride back to the village. Bill replied,
"We appreciate ya offerin' to take us into town, but we need to get the picnic basket an' some other stuff. It ain't that much of a walk." Alderson excused himself in order to go to the barn and get the wagon and horses ready for the trip into the village.
Bill and Leigh left the farm and went back to retrieve their items from the picnic before they walked back to the house Leigh shared with Melissa. Residents of the village were relieved to learn that the peeper situation was over and they were amused to learn that a cow straying from her pasture was their suspect. Leigh was jokingly called "Sherlock Holmes" and "Cowgirl" by George Luz since she figured out the identity of the peeping tom.
After Bill and Leigh finished reminiscing about the peeper, Bill told Leigh,
"I had another run in wit' a cow in Normandy. The krauts shot a cow on some guy's farm. We were hungry an' a guy from C Company was fightin' wit' us. He got separated from his unit an' he tagged along until he caught up wit' 'em again.
This kid grew up on a farm an' he said we could eat some fresh beef instead o' those lousy rations. He told us that he would dress the cow an' then we could start cookin' the meat.
I didn't know he was talking' about cuttin' up the carcass for meat. I thought he was nuts an' he was gonna try to put a dress on the cow." Leigh laughed,
"Was the meat good?"
"It was real good, but we had to be careful eatin' because there was a lot o' shrapnel in it. We cooked it over a fire we built. I wonder if that guy got back home?"
"I hope he got back. I'm glad you got home, you're somethin' else, Honey. Even if you did tell Mr. Alderson that we were sleeping together." Guarnere smirked,
"Are ya telling' me you don't feel happier after gettin' up to somethin'?"
"Of course I feel happier, you adorable smart ass!" Bill winked at her,
"That's my baby!"
*Author's note: The story of the cow in Normandy came from Bill's and Babe's book. I paraphrased the story. The story about Bill's older brother and sisters giving him extra cookies is true. I changed it from doughnuts to cookies. The quotes about "Oh, the poor baby" and "Smart like a fox also came from his book.*
